Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | White | Grey Silver | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Grey Silver | ||
| Autumn | Grey Silver | |||
| Winter | Grey Silver |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Habit
- Clump forming
- 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
Grow in a sheltered site with well-drained, humus-rich soil in sun or light 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. Plants may self-seed, but may not come true unless grown in isolation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Gravel garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required, but deadheading will encourage growth for the following year
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
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.