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Herbaceous Perennial

Digitalis × mertonensis 'Summer King'
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

strawberry foxglove 'Summer King'

A robust clump-forming, perennial or biennial to 90cm high, with lance-shaped glossy, dark green leaves, slightly hairy beneath and bearing racemes of large, velvety, tubular strawberry-pink flowers, spotted inside with crimson-purple

Synonyms
Digitalis purpurea 'Summer King'
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Red Pink White Green
Autumn Green
Winter Green
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

North–facing or West–facing or East–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Plantaginaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Clump forming
Potentially harmful
TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus

Digitalis can be biennials or usually short-lived perennials forming a rosette of simple leaves with bell-shaped flowers in slender, erect, usually one-sided racemes

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in light dappled shade, for example in a mixed bed or an open woodland garden, or in full sun, and add organic mulch. See foxglove cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed, or by division, removing offsets, in spring; it will also self-seed but may not come true unless plants have been grown in isolation

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading may encourage growth in following years

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and leaf and bud eelworm

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, downy mildews and leaf spot

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