Digitalis lanata

RHS Plant Profile
Grecian foxglove

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Grecian foxglove RHS 1999
Grecian foxglove RHS
Grecian foxglove RHS

Other common names

Austrian digitalis, woolly foxglove

Synonyms

Digitalis lamarckii misapplied

Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial
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An erect perennial forming a rosette of evergreen lance-shaped leaves, with cream or pale yellow flowers 2.5cm long, veined with brown, in a long spike in summer

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

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

Position

Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Plantaginaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
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
Correct
Plant Range
E Turkey, N Iran, Caucasus

How to Grow

Cultivation

Will grow in almost any soil or situation except very wet or very dry. It will grow in partial shade, though generally does better in a sunnier situation. See foxglove cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in late spring. Propagate by careful division in early spring or from basal cuttings, see softwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Cut back main flower spike as it fades to encourage the growth of flowering side shoots

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and leaf and bud eelworm

Diseases

May be susceptible to leaf spots and powdery mildews