General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Biennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 3-4 feet (90-130 cm)
Plant Spread: 20 inches (50 cm)
Leaves: Unusual foliage color
Semi-evergreen
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Pink
Purple
White
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Uses: Medicinal Herb
Cut Flower
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Toxicity: Other: The Latin word digitalis means finger and the blossoms of this flower fit the human finger almost perfectly. But the flowers and leaves are highly toxic, and this plant should not be grown in areas frequented by children. Foxglove is grown commercially a
Propagation: Seeds: Provide light
Needs specific temperature: germinates best at cooler temps, 60 - 65 deg F
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Other: Divide in early spring or fall
Pollinators: Bees
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger

Image
Common names
  • Foxglove
  • Common Foxglove
  • Fairy's Glove
  • Lady's Glove

Photo Gallery
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House garden)
Date: May 1, 2022
Fox glove #37 nn; LHB page 894, 179-16-7, "Latin for 'finger of a

Date: 2012-06-18
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark, EU
Date: 2017-06-12
Bumblebees love Foxgloves!
Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2017-05-28
Location: Hortus Lapidea
Date: 2023-06-14
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-06-15
Location: Germany
Date: 2017-05-27
Location: No.Calif amongst the Redwoods
Date: 2009 June
8 ft tall wild
Location: Granite Falls, WA
Date: 2017-05-01
Native Wildflower in Washington State
Location: IL
Date: 2009-06-12
Location: Hortus Lapidea
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-06-12
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-04-03
Location: Granite Falls, WA
Date: 2015-03-07
Foxgloves are a native wildflower in Washington State
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2019-06-06
Sometimes some thing goes wrong with a flower.

Date: 2015-06-21
Digitalis purpurea

Date: 2019-05-08
Location: Nora's Garden - Castlegar, B.C.
Date: 2013-06-22
 1:24 pm. Tall Foxglove, with Rose 'Easy Does It' at its base.
Location: Nora's Garden - Castlegar, B.C.
Date: 2016-06-12
 5:31 pm. Fascinating patterns inside the blossoms.
Location: Eagle Bay, New York
Date: 2022-06-24
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) showing stalk and blooms / buds
Location: Whetstone Park of Roses, Columbus OH
Date: 2016-05-29
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-08-18
Photo by PAgirl63
Location: Granite Falls, WA
Date: 2013-07-07
Photo by flowersrjen
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2014-06-11
Location: Kalama, Wa
Date: 2009-08-12
  • Uploaded by Joy

Date: 2015-06-21
Digitalis purpurea
Photo by mattsmom
Photo by mattsmom
Location: NW Oregon 
Date: May 2010
Location: NW Oregon 
Date: 2014-06-02
Location: western Oregon
Date: spring 2014
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2022-06-02
This plant has an enlarged stem called fasciation.
Location: Whetstone Park of Roses, Columbus OH
Date: 2016-05-29
Location: Belsay Hall garden, Northumberland, UK
Date: 2023-05-23
In the quarry garden
Location: My Garden
Date: 2013-07-05
Photo by Jewell
Location: NW Oregon 
Date: 2014-06-02
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-07-08
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Indiana  Zone 5
Date: may 2012
from a wintersown seed
Location: Indiana  Zone 5
Date: Jun 3, 2011 2:35 PM
Location: A garden in B.C. Canada
Date: 2012-06-18
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Jun 19, 2011 10:39 AM
Location: Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium
Date: May 22, 2007 3:16 PM
In woodland.

Date: Sep 14, 2010 1:25 PM

Date: May 9, 2010 4:48 PM
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-06-06
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2007-06-03
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2007-06-03
Location: my brother's garden, Vichte, Belgium
Date: 2010-06-27
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2014-06-08
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-06-11
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Holladay, UT
Location: my garden zone 7A Cape Cod, MA
Date: 2017-06-01
Location: Kalama, Wa
Date: 2009-08-08
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Kalama, Wa
Date: 2010-06-22
  • Uploaded by Joy
Photo by flowersrjen

Date: 2012-06-14
Photo courtesy of: Colin-47

Courtesy Seeds of Victoria
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: Virginia
Date: 2011 Summer
From seed

Image Courtesy of Bloomin Designs Nursery Used with Permission
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: western Oregon
Date: spring 2015
Location: my garden zone 7A Cape Cod, MA
Date: 2017-06-01
Location: western Oregon
Date: 2015-12-20

photo by ghislain118
Location: garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal in Madison, Wisconsin
Date: May 27, 2012
photo by James Steakley
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by JonnaSudenius (Belgium, Europe - Zone 6a) on Mar 3, 2012 4:07 AM concerning plant:
    This biennial will live 3 or 4 years if you cut off the stems before they set seed.
  • Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Sep 17, 2015 5:56 PM concerning plant:
    This is the common foxglove found growing along roadways and at the edges of forests. Introduced from Europe, but now widely naturalized. Contains cardiac glycosides from which digitalis is derived - highly toxic so be cautious when handling. Old folklore claims that bad fairies gave the blooms to foxes to slip over their feet to muffle their footsteps around the chicken coop.
Plant Events from our members
antsinmypants On March 29, 2021 Plant emerged
Several
antsinmypants On January 30, 2021 Seeds sown
WS - Jug #22
WebTucker On May 1, 2022 Bloomed
» Post your own event for this plant

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Foxgloves Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Foxgloves (Digitalis)

« The Foxgloves Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page

Today's site banner is by Zoia and is called "Volunteer"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.