Digitalis purpurea 'Snow Thimble'
foxglove 'Snow Thimble'
A biennial, 1m high, with overwintering rosettes of lance-shaped dark green leaves, and flower spikes of pale cream buds opening to pure white flowers, with only very pale speckles, produced in early summer
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- 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; native foxgloves are usually found in the wild on acidic soils, but they can also grow on neutral soils, and tolerate slightly alkaline soils. See foxglove cultivation for further advice
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sown in spring; it will 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
- Coastal
- Wildlife gardens
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required, but deadheading, cutting down the dead flowering stems, may encourage growth the following year
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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