Purple Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

How much light does a Purple Foxglove need?

Give foxglove full sun to part shade outdoors. Full sun means six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. Of the two light levels, full sun is the better choice for this plant. Part shade, sometimes called light shade, also works for this plant outdoors.

• Light: Full sun and part shade (full sun preferred)^1,2,3

How often to water a Purple Foxglove

Outdoors, foxglove needs soil moisture that ranges from medium to wet. It grows best in soil that stays moist and drains well, with soil rich in organic matter. The soil should not be allowed to dry out for any length of time. Good drainage matters as much as keeping the soil moist for this plant.

• Water: Medium to wet^1,3,4

Best soil for a Purple Foxglove

Foxglove grows best in soil that drains well while also staying moist most of the time. The plant prefers soil that is high in organic matter, and this should not be allowed to dry out. Good drainage matters here just as much as keeping the soil from drying out completely. Soil that holds too much water without draining is not a match for what this plant needs.

• Soil drainage: Well drained and moist^1,1,4,3,5

Hardiness and temperature

This plant's USDA hardiness rating runs from zone 4a through zone 9b outdoors, a wide span. Zone 4a marks the coldest end of that range, and zone 9b the warmest end most sources use for this plant. A zone 4a winter is far colder than a zone 9b winter, and this plant's range spans both.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b^1,2,3

Pruning a Purple Foxglove

You can deadhead foxglove by cutting down all but one or two flower spikes before they go to seed. Leaving one or two spikes lets the plant produce seed while you remove the rest. Deadheading is the pruning method listed for this species.

• Pruning: Deadheading⁵

How to plant a Purple Foxglove

Plant foxglove outdoors in USDA zones 4a through 9b, where it is hardy. Space plants roughly 1 to 2.5 ft (0.3-0.76 m) apart to match their mature spread. At maturity, this plant reaches about 2 to 5 ft (0.61-1.52 m) tall. Choose a planting spot with full sun to part shade, since that is what this plant takes outdoors.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b^1,2,3

Winter care

Within its USDA zone 4a to 9b range, foxglove can survive outdoors through winter. In zones colder than 4a, winter temperatures go beyond what this plant is documented to handle outdoors. In zones warmer than 9b, outdoor winters fall outside the same documented range. Zone 4a to 9b is the full outdoor hardiness range recorded for this plant.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b^1,2,3

How to propagate a Purple Foxglove

The only propagation method documented for foxglove is growing it from seed. Seed of this plant needs light to germinate, so you should not cover it with soil when you sow. Leaving the seed uncovered and exposed to light is what allows it to sprout. No method besides growing from seed is listed for this plant.

• Propagation: Seed^2,3,5

Common problems

Fungal diseases are a problem for foxglove. Aphids, Japanese beetles, and mealybugs are the pests listed for this plant. These problems are the only pests and diseases documented for this plant. No other insects or diseases are listed in the sources checked.

• Common pests: aphids, japanese beetles and mealybugs^1,3,2
• Common diseases: fungal diseases¹

Questions and answers

Is foxglove toxic to cats and dogs?

Foxglove is toxic to both cats and dogs, and the ASPCA lists it as toxic to each of them. NC State Extension also names it a problem for cats and for dogs.

How much sun does foxglove need outdoors?

Foxglove does best in full sun to part shade outdoors, with full sun as the preferred option. Full sun means six or more hours of direct sunlight a day.

What kind of soil moisture does foxglove need?

This plant needs soil moisture from medium to wet, in soil that drains well but is also kept moist. The soil should be rich in organic matter and should not be allowed to dry out.