The illustrated growing guide
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Family Plantaginaceae
Est. zones 4-9
The bumblebee cathedral. Biennial rhythm confuses beginners: plant two years running, then it's a permanent self-sowing colony. Its toxicity is real — it's also heart medicine's origin.
Part Shade
Moderate water
Rosette year one growth
Deer-resistant
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing foxglove? Hang it.
Our Garden Blooms collection carries foxglove — Digitalis purpurea, print Nº 15, “Foxglove.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will foxglove suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what foxglove actually needs.
Life cycleBiennial, grown as an annualFoxglove at a glance
Common foxglove problems
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow foxglove: light, water & soil
III
The year
What foxglove asks for, month by month.
The foxglove year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The foxglove year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May bloom
- Jun bloom
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Foxglove in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer biennial
What foxglove is grown for
⚠ Toxic if eatenALL PARTS HIGHLY TOXIC (digitalis) — respect it, site it away from kids/pets/veg beds
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of foxglove, ruled as a catalogue.
Best foxglove varieties & cultivars
'Excelsior' (all-around blooms); 'Camelot' (blooms first year); 'Dalmatian' (fast)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to foxgloveyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Foxglove questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat foxglove?
Rarely — foxglove is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is foxglove safe for kids and pets?
No — treat it as toxic if eaten. ALL PARTS HIGHLY TOXIC (digitalis) — respect it, site it away from kids/pets/veg beds Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
IX
Elsewhere
Where foxglove sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily