How can you resist a plant whose flowers are the colour of a crushed strawberry? I bought two Digitalis x mertonensis plants this year, and I’m hooked. They have softer gloves, and they are such a lovely vintage colour. The petals have a faint checkerboard pattern on the outside.
These foxgloves remind me of a 1940s ballgown. In fact, they are unashamedly girly plants. But the best thing about them is that, unlike many other, more popular foxgloves, these hybrids are short-lived perennials rather than biennials, and they tend to breed true from seed. They flower a little later than their wild cousins, extending the marvellous season of dreaming spires a little longer.
Vital stats:
Location:
Any soil
Light:
Shade or partial shade. Flower spikes will be shorter in full sun
When to sow:
May – June
What can I expect from this plant?
Height: 90cm
Spread: 30cm
Flowers: June – July
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