Digitalis purpurea 'Virtuoso Red' (Virtuoso Series)
foxglove 'Virtuoso Red'
A biennial or short-lived perennial, to around 1m high in flower, with a basal rosette of dark green, hairy leaves. Tall spikes of tubular, deep pink flowers, with dark red blotches in the throat, are produced in early summer
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Pink | Green | ||
Autumn | Green | |||
Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical 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
Unresolved
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 August or September for flowers the following year, or in late winter at 15-18°C for flowers the same year. Plants may self-seed, but may not come true unless grown in isolation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildflower meadow
- Wildlife gardens
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Deadhead main spike as flowers fade, to encourage lateral shoots with more flowers
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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