Foxglove Excelsior Mix ( Digitalis purpurea ) is a mix of pink, purple, white and cream flowers, that can make a statement in any garden. This species are beautiful with their tall standing, tubular clusters of bell shaped flowers but as fantastic as they look from a distance, they are quite spectacular up close.
Foxgloves are a common sight in cottage gardens or as border plants and will happily grow in pots as long as they are big enough! Foxgloves make a great cut flower, are brilliant for attracting bees and other pollinators to the garden and are native to temperate Europe.
Suitable for Cold, Temperate & Sub Tropical Climates
Growth
Foxglove Excelsior Mix are a biennial plant that don’t flower until their second year, however can also grow as perennials in zones with warmer winters. In the first year they average up to 50 cm’s in height and produce their leaves but in their second year, their flower stems develop and can reach 1-1.5 metres tall. Their leaves get quite large to around 30 cm’s long by 10 cm’s wide and are green.
In the second year the flowers will grow and develop into a large spikes with dense clusters of a mix of pink, purple, white or cream flowers that have randomly placed splotches of blackish-burgundy and white inside their throat.
Foxgloves prefer a part shade to dappled shade location and will generally grow well under the shade of trees in warmer climates. They are not very drought tolerant and will require regular watering through the hotter months, especially if in a sunnier position. This species will usually spread seed and re-sow itself in the garden after flowering and will then die away, so once you have planted it you shouldn’t have to buy seeds again. If you do not want seeds to spread, cut the flower stems off before they begin to dry, better still – use them as a cut flower!
FAMILY:
Plantaginaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold to Sub-Tropical
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
-34 to 34°C / -29 to 93°F
SOIL TYPE:
Well draining, compost rich soil.
LOCATION:
Part Sun, afternoon shade preferred.
HEIGHT:
Up to 1.5 metres (5 foot)
WIDTH:
Up to 50 cm (1.6 foot)
pH:
6.0-7.0
GROWTH TYPE:
Biennial, although can live longer in warmer climates with warmer winters.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Low-Medium
POLLINATION:
Bees and other insects, Bisexual, protandrous.
MATURITY:
12-16 months
GERMINATION RATES:
84%
GERMINATION TIME:
14-21 days
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 10,000
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
No
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
FACTS ABOUT DIGITALIS PURPUREA (Foxglove Excelsior Mix)
Although compounds that are contained in this plant are used medicinally; all parts of the Foxglove are poisonous to both humans and animals if ingested! Wear gloves or wash hands immediately after caring for the plant. and do not plant where pets and children play.
Foxglove flowers are bisexual, which means each flower has both male and female organs. However they are also protandrous, which means each sex develops at different times on the flower to avoid self pollination. The flowers start off male and then change to female as they develop. Don’t worry about a lack of pollination though for 2 reasons, firstly the little bell shaped flowers will start opening from the bottom to the top of the spike and by the time flowers further up the spike (which will be male at first) the ones at the bottom will have changed to females. Secondly they are very attractive to pollinators so there shouldn’t be any lack of assistance from nature in this department.
