did you know?

You can tell the color of a foxglove before it blooms. Just look at the petiole (leaf-stem) to see if it is flushed with a pink or purple color; white-flowered plants lack pigment so their leaf-stems are greenish-white.

general maintenance:

Deadhead spent blooms to encourage flowering, but allow some seed production to encourage self-sowing in the garden. Watch for seedlings and mark or transplant young plants in fall.

pests/diseases:

Anthracnose and leaf spot may occur.

controls:

To discourage anthracnose and leaf spot, space plants for adequate air circulation and avoid wetting leaves when watering. Remove diseased leaves where practical, and remove and destroy severely infected plants.

how to sow/plant:

Choose a well-drained site and amend with compost or well-rotted manure. Direct sow barely covering seeds in fall in Zones 7?8; in cooler areas sow in late spring. Thin young plants to a distance just shy of their mature spread. Foxglove is a biennial that is best started from seed each year.

water and fertilize:

Maintain soil moisture all season. Apply slow-release fertilizer when planting, or feed biweekly with a balanced all-purpose fertilizer, following label directions.

garden hint:

Foxgloves self-seed and will appear mysteriously in other parts of the garden. Since they seem to know the spots where they will thrive, let them self-sow where they will.

features:

• Attractive Flowers
• Attractive Foliage

garden uses:

• Flowerbed borders
• Naturalizing

other uses:

• Cut Flower

combine with:

columbine larkspur Shirley poppies ( 'Double Choice'), and spring-blooming roses.