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Herbaceous Perennial

Digitalis 'Polkadot Polly' (Polkadot Series)

foxglove 'Polkadot Polly'

A semi-evergreen perennial, to 1cm high in flower, with ovate to lance-shaped, slightly serrated dark green leaves, wider at the base and narrower on the stems. Upright spikes bearing numerous nodding, tubular and slightly flattened, coral pink to apricot coloured flowers with dark spotted throats are produced from mid summer into early autumn

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or 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)

Botanical details

Family: Plantaginaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen
Habit: Bushy, 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

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, sown in pots in a cold frame in late spring, or by division in early spring. This is a sterile cultivar so will not produce viable seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead to encourage 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

Get involved

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