Digitalis purpurea Excelsior Group
foxglove Excelsior Group
A semi-evergreen biennial or short-lived perennial, to 200cm high in flower, with a basal rosette of hairy green leaves. Tall spikes of tubular, orchid-shaped purple, pink, creamy-yellow or white flowers with spotted maroon-red or purple throats are produced in late spring through to July
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Cream Pink Purple Yellow White | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Cream Pink Purple Yellow White | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Prefers fertile, moist, humus-rich soil, but will grow in most garden situations including full sun. Will flower in its first year from an early sowing. See foxglove cultivation for further advice
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sown in pots in a cold frame in late spring for flowering the following year. Seeds sown in January, in a protected environment at 15-18°C, may produce flowers in late summer of the first year
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
- Wall side borders
Pruning
Deadhead to encourage more flowers
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
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.