The Foxglove Digitalis is a perennial plant. It is large and looks very showy which is the reason it becomes a striking addition if it is planted in any shade garden. If   they are grouped together at the back of the bed they will look best as they lighten up the spot which would otherwise be gloomy or dull. Depending on the variety of the Foxglove plant flowers in the shades of colors like yellow, pink, rose, red, purple lavender and white grow in the spikes which differ in height depending upon the variety. The  yellow foxglove is of a small variety thus it grows only up to two to three feet, while the  Rusty foxglove  which has rusty red flowers  is once of the tallest and  grows to about  six feet. It can be seen inside each flower a large white area which is covered with deep burgundy pr brown spots. Most of the varieties of the foxglove plant are seen to bloom on the second year after it has been planted from the seed.

A single flower is of the shape and size of a thimble. The Latin name for Foxglove is digitalis which means finger in Latin. The name suits the flower well as the flower fits perfectly into the human finger. Whenever a child sees it he is tempted to poke a finger at it but one thing that is to be noted is that the flowers and the leaves are poisonous or highly toxic. So it’s not safe to grow in areas that are visited by children often. Foxglove is also used as a medicine and is grown in different places for commercial use as a source for drugs used in heart patients like digitoxin and digoxin.

There are many stories about the origin of the name Foxglove. It is believed that the plant could have been initially called as folks glove in which folk was meant  to say about little people or woodland fairies. One very interesting story is that   when in a particular village lots of chicken were getting lost the elves and the fairies distributed these plants to the foxes and asked them to wear it like gloves when there was a raid for chicken coops. This idea served as a great help to the farmers as they could identify the culprits   easily.

The common Foxglove plant Digialis pupurea has a life cycle which lasts for two seasons. It has rosy purple or white flowers and grows to the height of about 4 to 5 feet tall. The way it is bred has given rise to several new and unique varieties. The “Shirley” hybrids come in many pastel shades. The Foxy hybrids grow up to three feet in height come into bloom very fast that is about five months after the seed are sown. Due to this it can be grown annually. The Excelsior is a very striking type of hybrid. It has flowers borne on all sides of the spike and faces outward, unlike other foxgloves that have on one side. And face downward. Another variety of foxglove is Alba which is white to cream and does not have the usual spots.

The other species of the foxglove plant which are notable are Rusty foxglove or Digitalis ferruginea . It is 4-6 feet tall and has rusty red flowers and is biennial. The yellow foxglove  or Digitalis grandiflora is also a perennial which lives for a short period . It grows to about 2-3 feet tall and has flowers that are honey colored and which are  blotched  with brown. The Meriton foxglove or the Digitalis Xmeronesis is also called the strawberry foxglove. As it has large  deep red flowers and it grows to about 3ft  tall in height.

The Foxglove plant is seen to flourish best in Zones 4-10but not along the Gulf coast and in Florida. If the climate of the area is temperate they should be kept in light shade but is the area is hot they should be kept in partial shade. The Foxglove plant grows best in soil that is slightly acidic and moist as well as well-drained. When planting a foxglove plant it needs to be about 15-18 inches apart. In order for the plant to bloom the next summer the foxglove seed should be planted a year earlier. The perennial foxglove plant be also grown by resetting clumps or dividing them during winters or early spring, but they are more commonly grown from seeds. The seeds need to be sowed  n mid-to late spring in order to get flower the next summer. In areas that are exposed stalking may be needed for varieties that are tall. Another thing that’s very important  is it needs good mulching. In order to avoid overcrowding the clumps can be divided after every three or four years of its flowering.