Dappled shade, full shade, full sun, partial shade
Aspect:
East facing, north facing, south facing, west facing
Position in border:
Middle
Shade type:
Damp
Soil
Prefers rich soil/Succeeds on poor soil:
Clay / Heavy / Moist / Well Drained / Light / Sandy
Digitalis purpurea
Digitalis purpurea is a native European foxglove woodland plant with spikes of tubular purple flowers with a spotted throat. However its cultivars appear in many guises, some dwarf and others very tall, with flowers in shades of pink, purple white and red, while other species contribute yellow or rusty brown shades to the range. It's a popular biennial for a shady spot and looks fantastic when grown en masse at the back of a border. Its blooms are extremely attractive to bumblebees. Digitalis purpurea self-seeds freely and will quickly naturalise in the garden.
Grow Digitalis purpurea in moist but well-drained soil in sun to shade. Allow plants to seed before cutting back the flowering stem – this may encourage a second flush of blooms to grow.
Plant calendar
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sow
yes
yes
Plant
yes
yes
yes
yes
Flowers
yes
yes
yes
Prune
yes
Collect seeds
yes
yes
Digitalis and wildlife
Digitalis is known for attracting bees and butterflies/moths. It is a caterpillar food plant and has nectar/pollen rich flowers.
