I WS'd Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) this Spring and was amazed at their growth too. The seeds are so tiny, but I got great germination, and they are easy to transplant. It amazing how fast they grow, now there are 8 huge clumps of foliage out there! Can't wait to see the blooms next year and hope to get a variety of colors. The seeds were from a trade, from a white plant that was cross-pollinated, but I'm hoping there is a white baby in there somewhere.

I have bought Foxglove in the past, when they were just the clumps - planted in the fall, you get a nice show in the Spring. But Wsing was SO easy, and you get a ton of seedlings (as you can see from your pictures Fran). With a little patience and waiting just an extra year for blooms, you can get so many more plants for so little money!

for whatever reasons I have missed the boat with foxglove for my garden. Rarely I have grown one but my perennial digitalis lutea. Am trying to correct this now. Started few from seed indoor so I have largish plants by spring. The ones I started were received from Plants World seeds and somewhat unusual- Anne Radetsky is looking like small orchids or butterflies, Red skin- new development like a ripe apple colors supposedly perennial too. I also got variegated digitalis lutea and might replace the one I am growing now.
Also got ferruginea and parviflora from T&M and trades. Am really looking forward to growing them. Thank you for posting those pics, really showing how they grow.

I must agree Fran. The foliage is so nice and sometimes lasts quite some time into winter here. These are some of mine from this year, photos taken a few minutes ago.

{{gwi:445274}}

I'm trying the Spanish Foxglove and so far so good...
{{gwi:445275}}

Here's some that look likw they want to flower in their FIRST year. I've never had a Foxglove bloom in November!!
{{gwi:445277}}

Another great thing about them is that the deers don't touch them. Oh, and another thing is that if you deadhead them they will bloom again.

Kudos to Digitalis!!

Tiffy, my foxglove have stayed green all winter since the first seedlings went in the ground 3 years ago.

They get buried in snow, get hit with a few nights of below zero temps as well as teens and single numbers without any snow cover.

I can tell you this though. There is nothing prettier than seeing the snow begin to melt at the base of the foundation of the house and presto, last years green leaves of the foxglove are right there saying "hello, can you move this snow faster, melt it faster, warm up the temps already. Time to grow some new leaves, a bunch of stems and get those buds and blooms going already."

Even if we get hit with more snow, it's a pleasure to walk on the front door and see that green there and now that those plants will keep on growing and keep on blooming year after year after year.

I have no idea what kind they are. I got the seeds in a trade several years ago and where labeled "foxglove cream and pink mix".
Apparently the seeds where either labeled with the wrong color or a hybrid and it does not come true to the parent plant.
Either way, I love the colors I have.

Next spring there will be a foundation of the house hidden by the blooms of at least 15 foxglove blooming.

I've never dead headed them before. First year I had no blooms or stems from the seedlings, second year each had one stem. This past spring into early summer, each one had 3 stems and all of a sudden 2 more stems popped out of the plants and bloomed with a smaller show. that was a surprise.

Blooming in November? Has it been really warm this fall for you? I've never seen that either?

Fran

Fran thanks for posting the pictures. Lindalana I am so surprized about foxgloves in your area. I have hundreds and hundreds of seedlings from self sowing. Catrina can testify to it. I cannot wait till next year to see what comes of them. LOL I thought they were campanula bell flowers until catrina came to visit and confirmed they were foxgloves all over the garden bed. I did take some and moved them to another garden bed. I would love to see hundreds of blooms in a garden bed. That would be a sight. The bed they are in is approximately 8 ft x 20 ft if not bigger. If they do bloom next year I will for sure take pictures. I love the flowers....Thansk Fran for the thread. Barb

I have to agree- what a plant!! I have huge plants started.
I hos them in the spring they are green and about 10 inches tall today. I planted some around a big oak tree and was surprised at how well they did there- no sun little water. Really looking forward to this one next spring.
These had an awesome germination rate. A great plant to have tried my first year winter sowing

Annette

Fran,

We actually have a warmer fall and winter season here in Nova Scotia than most folks think. The ground didn't freeze hard last year until we were in January. I enjoy it because this becomes my compost season until February when I start winter sowing. :O)

Linda,
Check out the photo above of the Spanish Foxglove. That's what the Parvifloras look like. Nice foliage, bigger than the Lutea which I also grow.

Annette,
"A great plant to have tried my first year winter sowing." So true!! It is a good starter plant for winter sowers!!