Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'

RHS Plant Profile
foxglove 'Sutton's Apricot'

Synonyms

Digitalis purpurea 'Primrose'
Digitalis purpurea 'Apricot'
Digitalis 'Apricot'
Digitalis 'Apricot Beauty'
Digitalis apricot hybrids

Plants for pollinators
Annual Biennial

A semi-evergreen biennial or occasionally a short-lived perennial, to 1.5m tall, with lance-shaped soft green leaves and large, erect flower spikes of apricot-pink tubular flowers, each 4cm long, produced in early summer

Position

Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

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

Position

Full shade Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical 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

Grow in almost any soil except very wet or very dry, although humus-rich soil in part shade is preferred. See foxglove cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers/in situ in late spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead after flowering unless seed is required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and leaf and bud eelworm

Diseases

May be susceptible to leaf spots or powdery mildews