Digitalis purpurea William Series
foxglove William Series
A semi-evergreen biennial or short-lived perennial, to 100cm high in flower, with a basal rosette of hairy dark green leaves. Tall spikes of sterile, tubular white flowers appear from June through to October, flowering longer than other varieties
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green | ||
| Autumn | White | 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
Unresolved
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
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