The Botanic Nursery, Your Botanic Guru!

In the wild foxglove seed can often lie dormant for decades and then, when the opportunity arises, germinate rapidly to fill a light woodland clearing. In the garden growing foxgloves from seed could not be easier and is a very rewarding experience!

A guide to growing foxgloves from seed can be found here 

Please note for customs reasons we regret we cannot usually send seeds outside of the European Union contact us for more information.

For perennial foxgloves click here or scroll on down

Biennial foxgloves include some of the most impressive blooms in the genus. They have been the focus of several big breeding projects and this has led to the development of several exciting new introductions such as D. 'Pams Choice' and the new D. 'Pams Split Corolla.' Like our native foxglove, to which they are most closely related they self-seed very easily and once established are quite happy in a little shade.

Digitalis ferruginea Southern Europe to the Balkans

A reliable favourite for sun or light shade. Tall sturdy spires of rusty brown flowers densely packed against the stems, loved by the bees. Biennial, comes true from seed and self-seeds in undisturbed sites. 6' in good soils. Evergreen. Do not consume

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis ferruginea ‘Gelber Herold’

4’ high stems of showy mustard yellow flowers in sun or part shade. Do not consume.

Please contact us for availability details.

Digitalis pupurea 'Albiflora'

Tall stems of beautiful white flowers, soft throat markings not visible from a distance. 5' stems branching from the base. Suits any garden colour plan and great used as a ‘signature plant,’ to tie together a planting scheme. Sun or shade, good soils. Biennial self-seeds in undisturbed ground. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~150 seeds

Digitalis pupurea 'Apricot'

This beautiful biennial has apricot buds which open to reveal pale apricot pink flowers. Around 4' high, taller in good soils. Sun or part shade. Happily self-seeds in undisturbed sites. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~150 seeds

Digitalis purpurea ‘Campanulata’ Remarkable hybrid possibly a Camapanula-Digitalis hybrid!

Terminal buds on all the flowering stems open to resemble a campanula. Quite curious and noted in the herbals of the 17^th Century. Found in a mix of colours particularly good in white. Do not consume.

Please contact us for availability details.

Digitalis purpurea 'Excelsior'

Shapely large flowers on stems around 4'-7’ high in soft mauves, yellows, pinks and some white.  With some throat markings. For sun or light shade in good soils. Happily self-seeds. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~150 seeds

Digitalis purpurea ‘Foxy’

Lovely throat markings in each petal. This form produces flowers all around the stem and will go from seedling to full flower in the first year. Never fails to impress! 2’ can be used in tubs on the patio, mixed colours.  Do not consume.

£2.50

~100

seeds

Digitalis purpurea ‘Giant Primrose’ Re-introduced 1999

Lovely biennial with pale yellow flowers on 5’-6’ stems. Once thought lost in cultivation re-introduced by the effort of Warwick NCCPG. Do not consume.

£2.50

~100 seeds

Digitalis purpurea 'Pam's Choice'

Newer selection, large white flowers with strong chocolate maroon throat markings. Around 5' high for sun or part shade, happily self-seeds in undisturbed sites. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~150 seeds

Digitalis purpurea 'Pam's Choice Split Corolla'

The same attractive throat markings as Pam’s Choice but with a distinctive split lipped flower giving an orchid-like effect. A rare form new for 2010. Do not consume

£4.50

 ~50 seeds

Digitalis pupurea ‘Primrose Carousel’

Bold yellow flowers with delicate markings. An excellent plant.  Do not consume.

£3.50

~50 seeds

Digitalis purpurea 'Snow Thimble'

A beautiful pure white flower. Around 4' high. Prefers a good soil in sun or part shade. Easily self-seeds in undisturbed ground. Comes true from seed when grown in isolation. Biennial. Do not consume

£2.50 ~150 seeds

Digitalis purpurea 'Wild Form'

Our native foxglove. 4’ high. Sun or part shade, easily self-seeds. Biennial. Do not consume

£2.50 ~150 seeds

Perennial Foxgloves  

                     Free UK Postage! 

Many people are surprised to find that most foxglove species are in fact reliable perennials. In the selection below there are a wide range of plants for various positions in the garden from the sun loving heywoodii and dubia to the shade happy x mertonensis.

Digitalis cariensis trojana

Rare species from Turkey, creamy white flowers delicately veined. Coffee coloured streaks within and a small white lip. Perennial, sunny open position. Evergreen foliage 15" Comes true from seed, Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis dubia

Lovely Portugese native with grey foliage and soft pink flowers, this species is only around 12" high. Lovely in the  gravel bed, scree or rockeries where the foliage is protected from winter wet. Full sun. Do not consume.

Temporarily unavailable

Please contact us for further details.

Digitalis ‘Glory of Roundway’

A recent introduction the result of a cross between D. mertonensis and D. lutea. 4’ stems of pale pink flowers, delicately spotted.  Do not consume.

Sterile cross, seed unavailable. Please contact us for further details.

Digitalis grandiflora Eastern Europe. 1595

Attractive perennial species great for the garden border, soft yellow heads of flower from an herbaceous base. Makes a neat clump at around 2' high in sun or part shade. Long flowering season. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis grandiflora ‘Carilon’

A dwarf variety of grandiflora. Attractive perennial 12” high.  Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis heywoodii South-west Europe

Intensely silver leaves with white hairs and pure white flowers from ivory buds. This stunning perennial has a branching habit and reaches 18". Best in full sun and well drained soils. Not to be confused with pink flowered selections. Do not consume. Comes true from seed when grown in isolation.

£4.50

 ~50 seeds

Digitalis 'John Innes Tetra'

Hybrid raised at the John Innes Institute in the 1920's the result of a cross between grandiflora and lanata. Vigorous perennial with appealing flowers of yellow bronzed, coming true from seed. Best in a sunny site. 18" Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis laevigata Western and Central Balkan Peninsular. 1805

A sun loving perennial with fascinating orange yellow flowers netted brown. The flowering stems make side branches prolonging the flowering.  Do not consume.

Digitalis lanata Balkan Peninsular, South Hungary, Romania. 1753

A perennial species that comes true from seed. Sturdy upright stems giving an architectural appearance. Covered with silver hairs from which the fawn flowers each with a white lip and violet-brown veins show through. Loves the sunny border, will self-seed in undisturbed ground. Flowers in July / August. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis lamarckii Turkey

Similar to lanata but the white lipped flowers are more slender and the leaves linear. Elegant wirey perennial with glaucous grey foliage. Sun 2’. Do not consume.

Please contact us for availability details.

Digitalis lutea

Useful perennial foxglove for naturalising in shade or sun. Hardy enough to tolerate winter in its native Siberia! Soft yellow flowers plentifully produced on wand like stems 3' high. Good in many situations. Comes true from seed. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis x mertonensis 1920’s

One of our favourites. The sumptuous ‘Strawberry Foxglove,’ has individually the largest flowers the colour of strawberry puree. Robust, short lived self-seeding perennial. Happiest in part shade. 2’-3’.  Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis obscura Spain. 1763

A wirey shrub like perennial with lovely reddish brown flowers marked orange, very freely produced. 2’ sunny well drained sites. Comes true from seed. Often thought to be a Penstemon, both fall into  Scrophulariacea. Do not consume.

£2.50

~50 seeds

Digitalis parviflora Mountains of Northern Spain. 1770

A particularly long-lived perennial with dark green leaves. Dense spires of brown flowers each with a purple-brown lip. This species comes true from seed. Prefers a sunny site but often does well in a part shade situation. Around 3' high. Do not consume.

£2.50 ~50 seeds

Digitalis thapsi Eastern Portugal, Central and Western Spain. 1763

The leaves are faintly covered with hair giving an almost golden look to them. The rose pink flowers have an elegant drooping habit and a pale throat. This perennial reaches 20” in height. Best in full sun and well drained soil occasionally a pure white flower is found.  Do not consume.

Please contact us for availability details.

Digitalis ‘Vesuvius Group’ Hybrids from dubia and heywoodii crosses

These perennials have very pretty silvery foliage and flowers in pastel colours from white to soft pink and yellow. Branching flowering stems make these a lovely plant for sunny borders with a very long flowering season. Highly fertile and self-seeds easily.  Do not consume.

Please contact us for availability details.

Digitalis viridiflora Balkan peninsular. 1821

Hard to obtain in its true form the flowers are very similar to lutea greener in colour and with a more compact appearance to the open petals. Perennial, excellent in part shade.  Do not consume.

Please contact us for availability details.