Digitalis, also known as foxglove, has tall spikes of tubular flowers in a wide range of colors, heights and forms. The plants are poisonous.
Start foxglove seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost date. Sow on the surface. Full sun to part shade.
Digitalis purpurea 'Excelsior Hybrids' is a mixture of pink, purple and white, bell-shaped flowers. The long-stemmed flowers are good for cutting , but I prefer to keep them in the garden where they stand out like exclamation points, providing height and interest.
Also known as Digitalis purpurea 'Excelsior Group'. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis purpurea 'Alba' is the white form of Digitalis purpurea. It blooms in June with tall, elegant spikes of pure white flowers. It makes a beautiful companion plant for roses .
Digitalis purpurea is one of the few showy flowers for the shade garden. It's a biennial or short-lived perennial. Native to Europe. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot' is one of the most beautiful foxgloves ever bred. The tall spikes of flowers bloom in a soft shade of apricot-pink.
Foxglove 'Sutton's Apricot' makes a good companion plant for warm-colored roses. Try it with Penstemon strictus , Campanula persicifolia 'Alba' or Hesperis matronalis . Also known as Foxglove 'Apricot Beauty'. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis purpurea 'Berggold' is a unique selection that blooms in various shades of purplish-red.
Foxglove 'Berrgold' is a good choice if you want a somewhat warmer tone than the common purplish-pink species. The color is bold, and it goes well with roses and other June-blooming flowers. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis purpurea 'Pam's Choice' has creamy white, bell-shaped flowers with contrasting splotches of dark burgundy. This stunning selection is a real standout in the garden or the vase.
The tubular flowers of all foxglove species attract hummingbirds . This variety is also known as Digitalis purpurea 'Elsie Kelsey'. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis pupurea 'Monstrosa Mix' is a real oddity. It looks like a regular foxglove until you get to the top of the plant. Each flowering spike is topped with a large, bowl-shaped flower. The mix includes purple, pink and white.
Foxglove 'Monstrosa' is a fun flower to shock your gardening friends. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis purpurea 'Gloxiniaeflora' has large, gloxinia-like flowers in a nice range of colors including pink, purple, rose and white.
A stand of Foxglove 'Gloxiniaeflora' is an impressive sight. This selection is taller than the Excelsior Hybrids. Plant it in groups or as single specimens to create exclamation points in the garden. Aka 'The Shirley'. Hardy in zone 4-9.
Digitalis purpurea 'Sugar Plum' is an exciting new variety. The purplish-pink flowers have dark speckles and plum-burgundy throats.
Foxglove 'Sugar Plum' looks especially lovely with Campanula persicifolia , Hesperis matronalis 'Alba' , Allium christophii and Nigella 'Miss Jekyll Blue' . It's is a biennial or short-lived perennial. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis lanata 'Cafe Creme' has creamy white and bronze flowers. The tubular flowers have gold highlights and purple veins. The overall effect is very soft.
The buds of Digitalis lanata are covered with thick fuzz, which accounts for the common name, Wooly Foxglove. Also known as Grecian Foxglove. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis laevigata is a rare foxglove species native to southern Europe. It has soft orange-yellow flowers with purple netting and a white lower lip.
I think that Digitalis laevigata should be more widely grown. The flowers are unique, and it's a reliable perennial for part shade. Deer resistant . Also known as Giraffe Foxglove. Hardy in zones 5-9.
Digitalis lutea blooms in early summer with tall, narrow spikes of pale yellow flowers. The overall effect is very subtle and relaxed.
In my garden, Digitalis lutea is planted with Dianthus carthusianorum and Campanula latifolia 'Brantwood' . This versatile foxglove works well in both warm and cool color schemes. Aka Small Yellow Foxglove. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis obscura is native to Spain and North Africa. It has narrow, evergreen leaves on bushy plants. It blooms in June with sunset-red and gold flowers with red veins and spots. The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds.
Digitalis obscura is drought tolerant , unlike common foxglove. It is well-suited to rock gardens with good drainage. Hardy perennial in zones 5-9.
Digitalis parviflora 'Milk Chocolate'
is a subtle plant that needs a position near the front of the border where the intricate flowers can be observed up close. Deer resistant.
Long-lived, hardy perennial in zones 4-9.
Digitalis thapsi 'Spanish Peaks' is blooms in early summer with purplish-pink flowers that are held gracefully away from the stems. The flowers, stems and leaves are covered with tiny hairs, giving it a soft appearance.
Spanish Peaks foxglove is relatively short, so it's best planted near the front of the border. Shade tolerant . Short-lived perennial. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis ferruginea 'Gelber Herold' blooms in midsummer with towering spikes of soft, tan-yellow flowers with rusty veining. It self sows freely in my zone 5 garden. It's a biennial or short-lived perennial.
Rusty Foxglove is a biennial or short-lived perennial. Also known as Digitalis ferruginea 'Yellow Herald'. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Digitalis ferruginea 'Gigantea' has softly colored, tan-yellow flowers with rusty-brown veins on the inside. It's like a tall exclamation point in the garden.
Rusty Foxglove grows well in part shade, and it's not too picky about the soil. I have a patch growing in the shade next to an old blue spruce - just about the worst conditions you can imagine. This species thrives and reseeds there.
Digitalis grandiflora blooms in June with soft, yellow flowers with light brown netting. The subtle color looks nice anywhere in the garden, especially when paired with blue flowers like Jacob's Ladder .
Digitalis grandiflora is a reliable perennial. Also known as Digitalis ambigua. Hardy in zones 3-8.
Digitalis floribunda is a very rare and lovely species with light yellow flowers that look similar to Digitalis grandiflora. It's a reliable perennial.
Digitalis floribunda blooms earlier than most other foxgloves - about the same time as peonies and iris. In my garden, it's planted with Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Beauty' . It can be grown in containers. Self-sows nicely. Zones 3-9.