Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Family Plantaginaceae
Towers of freckled bells, three to five feet of them, glowing in the half-shade where most showstoppers won't go — foxglove is pure cottage-garden theater. Stand near one in early summer and you'll hear it before you see it: bumblebees working the spires flower by flower.
Deer walk past it, and two years' plantings overlap into a permanent self-sowing colony that restocks itself free. Admire it, never taste it — every part is potently toxic, the same chemistry that became heart medicine — then give it a spot apart from kids, pets, and the veg patch, and start two years running.
Part Shade
Moderate water
Rosette year one growth
Deer-resistant
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing foxglove? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries foxglove — Digitalis purpurea, print Nº 193, “Foxglove.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what foxglove actually needs.
Life cycleBiennial, grown as an annualFoxglove · Common problems
Common foxglove problems
Foxglove · Growing & propagation
Growing foxglove
- Light
- Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Rich, moist, drained · pH 5.5 - 6.5
Fertilizer- Light spring feed year two
Pruning- After bloom
Cut the main spent spike → side spikes bloom; leave the last to shed seed and the colony self-perpetuates.
Spacing- 15-18 in
Foxglove · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Foxglove · Yearly calendar
The foxglove year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMay to June
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Foxglove · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Digitalis purpurea
Foxglove in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer biennial
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
- Deer
- Resistant
A safer unfenced choice
Origin- Introduced
What foxglove is grown for
⚠ Toxic if eatenALL PARTS HIGHLY TOXIC (digitalis) — respect it, site it away from kids/pets/veg beds
Use- Cottage spires
- Use
- Shade drama
- Use
- Bee gardens
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Foxglove · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a foxglove variety
'Excelsior' (all-around blooms); 'Camelot' (blooms first year); 'Dalmatian' (fast)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Digitalis purpurea
- Plant family
- Plantaginaceae
- Growth habit
- Biennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- DIPU
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Foxglove questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat foxglove?
Rarely — foxglove is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is foxglove safe for kids and pets?
No — treat it as toxic if eaten. ALL PARTS HIGHLY TOXIC (digitalis) — respect it, site it away from kids/pets/veg beds Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
Elsewhere
Where foxglove sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily