Digitalis purpurea ssp heywoodii 'Silver Fox' - 2019

3 Jun, 2019
3 likes

A dwarf form of our native foxglove with grey leaves and white flowers. Needs good drainage and will take a sunnier position than the ordinary form. This is flowering for a second year, and I have seedlings grown from last year's seeds, so it will be interesting to see if they come true

Comments on this photo

Siris

Are they short lived perennials?

3 Jun, 2019

Andrewr

Our native foxglove is usually a biennial (although you sometimes get a second year of flowers from it), so I wan't expecting to see these again this year

3 Jun, 2019

Siris

Thanks Andrew, they have a nice form with masses of flower spikes. I hope you can keep them white, I find they are quite promiscuous and all my whites have gradually been open pollinated by the purples so now I've mostly pale pinks. It is said you can distinguish white seedlings by the greyer leaves, but I've never managed that. Those leaves are really grey.

4 Jun, 2019

Andrewr

Sue - turn the leaves over and look at the vein that runs up the middle. If it has pink on it, the flowers will be pink; if it doesn't, the flowers will be white

4 Jun, 2019