Plant Overview
Spikes of yellow foxglove flowers above neat clumps of green leaves. Good for cutting and using in bouquets.
Introduced to Britain in 1597. Given the RHS Award For Garden Merit.
Grows best in semi shade and prefers a well-drained spot.
Height: 90cm
Common name(s): The Small Yellow Foxglove
Digitalis:
Bee Catchers, Dead Men's Thimbles, Fairy Bells, Fairy Fingers or, the most common name, Foxgloves. Traditionally associated with magic, fox gloves were supposedly given to the fox by fairies so he could creep silently into the chicken run. The leaves of the Digitalis family are poisonous, since they contain digitalin, a potent drug which slows the heartbeat and is still used medicinally.
Please note: Poisonous if eaten. All Foxgloves develop brown/purple markings on their leaves at various times in their life. This is physiological, perfectly normal, and not a problem.
Photo courtesy of The Hardy Plant Society.