Digitalis purpurea Excelsior Group white-flowered

RHS Plant Profile
foxglove Excelsior Group white-flowered
Plants for pollinators
Annual Biennial

A strain of semi-evergreen biennial, up to 1.8m high in flower, with a basal rosette of hairy green leaves. These selected plants have white flowers, arranged all round the tall spikes in early summer

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Plantaginaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Columnar upright
Potentially harmful
TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
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
Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Will grow in almost any soil or situation except very wet or very dry; ideally a sheltered, warm site with humus-rich soil in light or partial shade. See foxglove cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. Sow in August or September for flowers the following year, or in late winter at 15-18°C for flowers the same year. Plants may self-seed, but may not come true unless grown in isolation

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildflower meadow
  • Wildlife gardens
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead main spike as flowers fade, to encourage lateral shoots with more flowers

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, leaf and bud eelworms, slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, downy mildews and leaf spot