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Herbaceous PerennialAnnual Biennial

Digitalis purpurea Dalmatian Series

foxglove Dalmatian Series

A collection of biennials or short-lived perennials, to around 60cm high in flower, with lance-shaped dark green leaves. Upright spikes packed with outward-facing, tubular flowers, in shades of white, peach, pink and purple and held all around the stems, are produced from mid to late summer. These cultivars are bred to bloom in their first year

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Plantaginaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen
Habit: Bushy, 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

Will grow in almost any soil or situation except very wet or very dry; ideally a sheltered, warm site with humus-rich soil in light or partial shade. See foxglove cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. Sow in spring for flowering in the first year, germinates at 15-18°C

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
City and courtyard gardens
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Deadhead to encourage more flowers (unless seeds are required)

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, leaf and bud eelworms, slugs and snails

Diseases

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

Get involved

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Digitalis purpurea Dalmatian Series

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