Will Foxgloves Reseed in the Garden?

Foxgloves boast loads of bell flowers that crowd tall, sturdy stems. Depending on the cultivar, their lavender, rose, peach, or creamy white flowers often have freckled throats. On an early summer day, they buzz with pollinators, especially bumble bees, who wriggle into each tubular blossom for nectar, transferring pollen as they go. Sometimes, they even rest in the trumpets. En masse, foxgloves make a spectacular show in a vertical spray of color.

In their original range from Western Europe to North Africa, Digitalis purpurea grows along woodland edges, in clearings, and in disturbed sites. Common foxglove delights wild hillsides and gardens alike, popular for its striking, long-lasting flowers. The species has a looser bloom spike over its cultivars, with downfacing purple bells. The showy wildflower naturalizes well beyond its native range and is hardy in USDA zones 4-9.

In optimal growing conditions, foxgloves readily reseed to expand the colony. A single plant can produce one to two million seeds! We’ll explore growing foxgloves from seed and how to manage their reseeding for perennialization without overwhelming a space.

Gloxiniiflora Blend Foxglove Seeds

 

• Large, Showy Flowers for Cut Arrangements
• Biennial Growth Cycle with Stunning Second-Year Blooms
• Self-Sows for Long-Lasting Beauty
• Thrives in Part Shade
• Toxicity Warning: Handle with Care

View at Botanicalinterests.com

About Foxgloves

Digitalis purpurea are cold-hardy biennials or short-lived perennials. They bloom in early summer in cool climates and put on a showy spring display in warm climates until temperatures rise. In areas with hot summers and mild winters, plant them in the fall to overwinter for a spring display, treating them as annuals.

Foxgloves produce a clump of basal leaves that are thick and leathery. They develop in the cool season before producing the tall spikes. After flowering and with warm weather, leaves may turn yellow and take on a worn, ragged look. Pluck the plants from the arrangement and infill with a heat-loving selection, or allow other perennials to take over.

Foxgloves grow best in full sun to partial shade, ideally with morning sun and protection from intense afternoon rays in southern climates. They prefer consistently moist, light, organically rich soils but tolerate different soil types as long as they’re well-draining and not overly dry or wet. All parts of foxgloves are toxic if ingested, and contact can irritate sensitive skin; use gloves when tidying, deadheading, or pulling.

Invasiveness

As readily reseeding plants, D. purpurea are invasive in certain areas, particularly in climates with cold winters and cool summers. This is the case In the northeastern U.S., parts of the upper midwest, and west (particularly California and the Pacific Northwest), where common foxglove escapes cultivation and is an invasive species. Avoid planting it altogether if it’s invasive in your area.

As Biennials

There are about 20 different Digitalis species, some perennial (like D. x mertonensis, or strawberry foxglove) that live for several years. D. purpurea are biennials, living for two years but reseeding for a long-lasting colony. Some varieties of D. purpurea are early bloomers, yielding flowers the first year. 

True biennials won’t flower or produce seeds until they mature in the second year of growth. If you start biennials in winter or spring, expect leafy growth this first season and a big bloom the following year.

Seed Production

As bees, hummingbirds, and other insects pollinate each bloom, a small fruit capsule develops after flowering. The fruits develop over the season and split open at maturity to release thousands of tiny seeds. Not all of the seeds are viable, especially with certain hybrids and cultivars, but enough will burst into life.

The seeds from a hybrid or cultivar may not be true to type. They won’t necessarily reflect the same qualities as the parent plant. To get a certain cultivar, source seeds each season or plant nursery starts.

Managing Reseeding

Deadhead spent blooms to minimize volunteer seedlings popping up in following seasons or spreading to other garden areas. Leave one or two intact if you want to continue the stand as a perennial planting or start fresh with plugs, nursery starts, or seed varieties the following season.

Let the remaining seeds drop naturally, or collect them when dry on the stems to scatter. Sow them when fresh for best germination.

Foxgloves make beautiful cut flowers. Cut the primary stem at bloom time for fresh florals, if you can spare them. You’ll likely get side shoots of smaller blooms to extend the display.

Sowing Seeds

If you don’t yet have foxgloves to reseed, you can sow new seeds in late summer or early fall. They’ll overwinter to establish for a spring bloom. For spring seeding, direct sow a week or two after the final frost.

The seeds need exposure to sunlight to germinate. At sowing, scatter them without covering them with soil. Lightly press them for surface contact or rake the area to nestle them so they don’t drift or wash. 

Germination takes about two to three weeks in evenly moist soils. As seedlings spring up and reach three to five inches tall, thin or transplant them to a spacing of about 18 inches apart.

Popular Varieties

Foxgloves bring old garden charm and are quintessential cottage garden selections. They highlight the annual planting or mid-to-back of the border in both formal and naturalistic arrangements.

‘Camelot Mix’

	botanical name Digitalis purpurea ‘Camelot’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 42-48”
	hardiness zones 4-9

The ‘Camelot’ series is the first collection of hybrids to bloom in the first year of planting. Hybrids in lavender, cream, rose, and white experience a heavy flush of flowers in a long-lasting season, beginning in spring or early summer (depending on your climate).

‘Camelot’ rises tall on strong, upright stems that need no staking. Blooms fully line all sides of the stem for a trumpet-packed spike. Each of the rich pastels has spotted throats in a contrasting deep blotch, offering pretty detailing and luring pollinators.

Following the first season’s flowers is a robust round the following year. ‘Camelot’ is a reliable selection, and ‘Camelot Mix’ brings all four complementary shades in a ready-to-plant combination.

‘Dalmatian Peach’

	botanical name Digitalis purpurea ‘Dalmatian Peach’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 4-9

The ‘Dalmatian’ series also produces first-year flowers, this time on lower-growing, compact stems. The series features fast-growing hybrids that bloom quickly with good vigor. They fit a variety of spaces with the same exceptional blooms as standard varieties.

‘Dalmatian Peach’ has stiff stems with creamy peach flowers and orange freckles. Flowers open pinky peach and transition to pale yellow peach.

With vintage romantic charm, peach is a warm neutral, and the foxgloves create a stunning backdrop for poppies, snapdragons, hosta, heuchera, and astilbe. Another peach favorite is ‘Apricot Beauty,’ with pastel apricot-pink flowers on towering stems that reach three to four feet tall.

‘Alba’

	botanical name Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-5’
	hardiness zones 4-8

‘Alba’ is pure white and graceful on tall stems. The slightly freckled white bells are elegant in the landscape and in fresh-cut florals. Light green buds open to the white trumpets, crisp among fresh spring foliage.