Foxglove

Year-round

Foxglove is a biennial garden plant from Western Europe that forms a low rosette of leaves in its first year, then sends up a 2 to 5 foot flowering spike in its second year, lined with tubular purple, pink, or white blooms. All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, so it needs a spot away from curious pets and children.

• Give it moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter; in the hot, dry summers of the Central Valley it does best with afternoon shade to avoid drought stress, which limits flowering.
• It can reach 2 to 5 feet tall in bloom, so give it room toward the back of a bed.
• It self-seeds if flower spikes are left to set seed; deadhead after bloom if you want to limit volunteers, or leave some spikes to let the planting persist year to year.
• All parts of the plant are toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses if ingested (cardiac glycosides), so keep it out of reach of children and pets.

Its tall, upright spikes read as an intentional cottage-garden accent in a border, but the toxicity means it is best kept out of yards with small children or pets that graze on plants.

Fall

Fall is when new first-year rosettes from summer's dropped seed become established, ahead of next year's bloom.

• Remove finished second-year plants once they have browned and dried after setting seed.
• Thin or transplant crowded first-year seedlings to give them room to grow.
• Water occasionally to help new rosettes establish if fall rains are light in the Central Valley.

Clearing spent flower stalks in fall keeps a foxglove planting from looking untidy through winter.

Winter

First-year plants persist as a low rosette of leaves through the Central Valley's mild winter, ready to send up a flower spike the following spring.

• No regular watering is needed beyond normal winter rainfall.
• Leave the basal rosette in place; it is the plant's overwintering form ahead of next year's bloom.
• No pruning is needed at this stage.

Spring

Spring is when a second-year plant sends up its flowering spike, with bloom typically starting in mid to late spring in the Central Valley's mild climate.

• Keep soil consistently moist as the flower spike develops; do not let it dry out, since drought stress reduces bloom.
• Watch for self-sown first-year rosettes from last year's seed and thin crowded seedlings.
• No fertilizing is typically needed in organically rich garden soil.

Summer

Bloom continues into early summer before the Central Valley's hottest, driest stretch sets in, after which flowering winds down.

• Provide afternoon shade and consistent moisture during hot spells; prolonged drought will cut bloom short.
• Deadhead spent spikes to tidy the planting, or leave some to set seed if you want it to reseed for next year.
• The second-year flowering plant dies after it finishes blooming and setting seed.