Digitalis grandiflora Though not as showy as Digitalis purpurea or many other (mostly biennial) foxgloves, Digitalis grandiflora is longer-lived. This one has been in our shade garden for five years.
It's lovely in a naturalistic setting, looks great with both hot and cool colors, and thrives here in dry shade. While not native, it's well-behaved in our garden and attractive to pollinators, including hummingbirds. In spite of its delicate appearance, it's a tough plant, unbothered by pests or diseases. Though it's never seeded itself in our garden, other gardeners have reported it to self-seed easily, almost invasively.
Digitalis grandiflora is one of the longest-lived perennial digitalis. Still, ours is old enough that one spring it may not come back. The last of three original plants, (I killed the other two trying to divide them,) last year I saved its seeds, shared some, and started a few in the basement over the summer. The seeds sprouted readily - 100% of them germinated. They were planted out last fall, and will probably bloom for the first time next spring.
Have you grown Digitalis grandiflora? If so what's your experience with it? This year I'll be saving seeds again, some for Monica, and am happy to share seeds if you'd like to try this lovely plant in your garden.
