Digitalis purpurea 'Purple Carousel' (Carousel Series)
foxglove 'Purple Carousel'
A biennial or short-lived perennial, up to 75cm high, with overwintering rosettes of green leaves and spikes of outward-facing flowers which grow all round the stems and are deep purplish pink, spotted inside with maroon outlined in white, in early summer; wild native foxgloves are a reliably good source of nectar for bumblebees, especially long-tongued bumblebees, and some but not all garden cultivars may also be good bumblebee plants
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink Purple Red White | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Potentially harmful
- TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
- Genus
Digitalis can be biennials or usually short-lived perennials forming a rosette of simple leaves with bell-shaped flowers in slender, erect, usually one-sided racemes
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in light dappled shade, for example in a mixed bed or an open woodland garden, or in full sun, and add organic mulch; native foxgloves are usually found in the wild on acidic soils, but they can also grow on neutral soils, and tolerate slightly alkaline soils
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sown in spring; it will self-seed, but may not come true unless plants have been grown in isolation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Coastal
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required, but deadheading, cutting down the flowering stems, may encourage growth the following year
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids and leaf and bud eelworm
Diseases
May be susceptible to powdery mildews, downy mildews and leaf spot
Get involved
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