Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) are biennials with tall, tubular flower spikes that bees love and a long-time favorite in cottage-style gardens.
For more ideas, see Flowering Perennials for a Cottage-Style Garden.
Growing Foxglove
Foxglove | Digitalis spp.
Biennial herbaceous plant
• Foliage-year one, flowers-year two
• Part-sun – 4 to 6 hours direct sun maximum per day
• Fertile, well-draining soil
• Not native to North America
• Invasive in warm climates like California
• Best seed germination temperature range: 60-65°F (15-18°C)
Foxgloves (Digitalis) are classic cottage-garden plants with tall spires of showy, bell-shaped flowers. I’ve grown them for years and always look forward to seeing where they’ll pop up each season. Along with delphiniums, hollyhocks, and peonies, they’re one of those plants that quietly earns a permanent place in the garden.
Digitalis flowers are especially eye-catching, often decorated with speckles or spots inside multi-colored tubular blooms that seem designed to draw you in for a closer look.
Those tubular flowers are so deep, it’s not unusual to see foraging bees crawl in and disappear!
In cold climates, foxgloves are typically biennials. That means they spend their first year growing leaves and building strength, then flower in their second year. After blooming, the plants set seed and may decline, but if the soil is left relatively undisturbed, those seeds often germinate nearby.
That’s exactly what happens in my garden. The less I fuss with the plants or the surrounding soil, the more foxgloves I seem to get, with new seedlings appearing naturally over time.
About Foxglove Toxicity
Foxglove (Digitalis) is toxic if ingested, which is a point that often comes up whenever the plant is mentioned. This is true, and it’s also true of many common garden plants.
Simply growing foxglove in the garden is not considered harmful. However, if you have pets or children who are likely to chew or eat plants, foxglove may not be a good choice for your space. As with any potentially toxic plant, it comes down to understanding your situation and deciding what you’re comfortable growing.
Contents
How Foxglove Got Its Name
The name foxglove has its origin in Old English, though the exact meaning of the original words is not certain. We think it comes from either fairy gloves or fairy music. Either way, it’s clear that people were as enchanted with them years ago as we are today.
The proper plant name, Digitalis, comes from the Latin word digitus, meaning finger or digit, which is much less romantic but equally true. The long tubes of the flowers are indeed like fingers or bell-bottom pants, if you’re old enough to remember what those are.
Common Foxglove
The most common foxglove in our gardens is Digitalas purpurea and this grows to about 2-3 feet in height.
Occasionally on garden tours I see incredibly tall varieties reaching 6-8 feet. I am not sure if they are purpureas or some other cultivar, but wow, they are fabulous. And, because the stems tend be so thick, they don’t flop over. Combined with the pinks, purples, creams, and yellows, they are wonderful flowers.
I love watching as various pollinators come by. Many different bees are attracted to the nectar and climb right into the flower tubes to get their fill.
Foxglove Plant Facts & Growing Tips
| Family | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus | Digitalis |
| Species | 20+ species |
| Best-known species | Digitalis purpurea |
| Common name(s) | Foxgloves |
| Origin | Western and southwestern Europe, central Asia, northwestern Africa |
| Type | Biennial |
| Forms foliage in year one, blooms in year two, may be unproductive after that, though may self-seed for new plants. | |
| Height | 19-inches to 8-feet tall (average 3-feet tall) |
| Spacing | 12-24-inches |
| Light | Partial sun, shade |
| Soil | Likes fertile, slightly acidic, well-drained soil |
| Flower times | Summer | deadhead or cutback after flowering |
| Colors | Reds, pinks, purples, yellows, whites |
| Fertilizer | Not required |
| USDA Zones | Digitalis purpurea zones 4-8 |
| Dependents | Foxglove mug (moth) larvae consume the flowers; lesser yellow underwing (moth) consumes the leaves. |
| Propagation | Divide root clumps; seeds |
| Pruning / Cutting back | Can cut back flowers for more blooms; leave flowers if you want seeds |
| Problems | Invasive in some areas; all parts of plant are toxic; susceptible to fungal diseases (powdery mildew, anthracnose, leaf spot, crown rot), pests (aphids, snails, Japanese beetles) |
| Trivia | Uses | The name ‘fox’s gloves’ has its origin in Old English though the etymology is uncertain. The name may have derived from original names meaning fairy gloves or fairy music. The genus name Digitalis is from the Latin digitus (finger). Medicinal drugs including digoxin, which contains cardiac glycosides, are prepared from various Digitalis (foxglove) plants. This medicine is used to increase the contraction of the heart.The entire Digitalis plant is toxic, including roots and seeds. |
Frequently-Asked Questions
Yes, Digitalis (foxglove) is invasive in some areas. The most common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea is considered invasive in parts of California but not in a cold climate like I live in here in Ontario, Canada.
Always check with your local extension office or governing body that oversees invasive species for specific information. I’ve listed my go-to plant databases and resources here.
Just about any flowering plant including foxgloves can grow in containers with proper conditions and care.
You will need to provide good quality potting mix, adequate water and shade, and frost-free shelter for the winter months, to prevent the container from freezing or breaking.
‘Overwintering’ requires the gradual introduction to storage conditions (out of freezing weather) and reintroduction in spring. Here’s an example with my fig trees.
Yes, hummingbirds and bees are both attracted to foxglove flowers. The flower shape is best-suited for the long proboscis of the hummingbird. Bees can be seen crawling inside. The longer-tongued bees are adept at getting the nectar.
Yes, it’s possible to grow foxglove from seed indoors. They like soil temperatures in the 60-65°F range (15-18°C).
For my garden, I have the best luck with self-seeding outdoors. I leave the foxgloves alone, let them bloom and go to seed, and reseed naturally. This generates far more new plants than I can grow successfully from seed indoors.
For the long term, foxgloves will not successfully grow indoors.
Apparently slugs and snails do not like foxgloves. They will avoid these plants and instead eat other more desirable plants in your garden.
Resources
Find Your Frost Dates & Hardiness Zone
Plant Hardiness Zones | 
United States | 
Canada
These are listed on seed packets and plant tags to guide your choices.
Average Frost Dates | Use this calculator at Almanac.com. Enter your city and state or province to find your first and last frost dates and number of frost-free days.
Ecoregion | Learn about local native plants, animal species, and environmental conditions to make garden choices that benefit your ecosystem.
Learn More: Understanding Frosts & Freezing For Gardeners
Ebook
Seed Starting for Beginners
Sow Inside Grow Outside
by Melissa J. Will
NEW EDITION | Everything you need to get started with indoor seed starting for indoor and outdoor plants. Grow what you want—any time of year!
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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛