Bee Friendly Foxglove Care, Planting & Maintenance
Foxgloves are a great source of both pollen and nectar for bees. The foxgloves’ bright shades of pinks and purple stand out vividly to bees, as they see violets shades more clearly than others, and the abundance of flowers on each plant provides s large food supply. The foxgloves bell shaped flowers are also attractive to bumblebees, as they have long tongues and can easily reach the nectar from inside the flowers.
Common foxgloves (digitalis purpurea) are ideal plants for bees, and bumblebees in particular. Common foxgloves come in a variety of colours, but the pink and purple varieties are best for attracting bees and they can see these colours best.
Other varieties of foxgloves, like digitalis parviflora, have much smaller flowers that have less accessible nectar and pollen, and they grow in less bright shades of whites or orange, so don’t provide the same attraction or sustenance as digitalis purpurea.
It’s best to plant foxgloves in the early spring, around March or April, or in Autumn in August or September. Foxgloves are very tolerant plants and can grow in a variety of soils, but will grow at their best in free draining moist soil. Provided your foxgloves don’t get too wet or too dry they can tolerate any soil type.
Common foxgloves are also very tolerant of different light levels and can grow in full sun or full shade, so you can plant them anywhere in the garden and they will take well, but for optimum results, we recommend partial or dappled shade as this mimics the natural light levels they get when growing wild in forested areas.
Common foxgloves are biennials, meaning they flower every other year, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get flowers in the first year you plant them. After their first year they are very regular bloomers and will also self-seed, so you may develop clusters of foxgloves growing together in the same area, which will ensure you see flowers every year.
Any self seeded plants can be safely moved to other areas of the garden or can be put into pots as foxgloves will also grow well in containers with regular watering.
Foxgloves can grow up to 2 meters tall, therefore it’s recommended to place them towards the back of borders or in sheltered spaces out of the wind.
Foxgloves are low maintenance plants and will flower and self seed without any extra help.
To encourage further flowering, deadhead any spent flowers in the summer and you may get a second wave of flowers.
You can also leave the spent flowers on the plant if you want them to self seed to encourage the seeds to drop freely.
Foxgloves are very tall and vibrant plants that can work with a number of different garden styles. As a woodland plant, they work well in cottage style gardens with abundant planting, as their height lets them grow well in full flower beds. They can also be used in modern garden styles to add height and structure to borders or to divide up spaces in your garden.
Do note that foxgloves are toxic to humans if ingested, therefore they’re not recommended in gardens with small children or pets.
Foxgloves are easy plants to work with for novice gardeners as they will grow in most conditions and light levels, you just need a little patience if you don’t get flowers in the first year of planting and you’ll be rewarded with abundant and colourful flowers the next year!
