Foxglove seeds FAQs
Foxgloves are glorious biennial flowers with spikes of gorgeous bell shaped blooms. The flower spikes can reach up to two metres tall! Usually found in woodland plantings and along hedgerows, these common cottage garden plants come in a lovely mix of colours from the traditional purple of the wild foxglove to the peachy tones of ‘Suttons Apricot’ and the unusual, ruffled white and blackcurrant coloured foxglove ‘Pam's Split’.
Are foxgloves poisonous?
Foxgloves are very poisonous. If ingested, they can make an adult human very ill. You may also want to avoid growing foxgloves if you have pets who like having a nibble in the garden. If in doubt, seek medical help – take a pet you suspect may have had a taste of a foxglove to the vet. Use gloves when you handle these lovely ornamental plants.
How to grow foxgloves
It’s easy to grow foxgloves from seed. Being biennial plants, they grow healthy leaves in their first year after sowing and produce towering flower spikes in their second year. Foxgloves grow best in rich moist well-draining soil and do very well in both full sun and full shade.
Simply sow your foxglove seeds into shallow rows into their final positions in the garden. Water the shallow row and scatter your seeds along it, making sure to space them evenly. Use a rake to lightly cover the seeds. You can always thin out the seedlings as they germinate later if they’re a bit too close. Make sure you water your foxgloves as they grow, especially during hot summer weather.
When to Sow foxglove seeds
Sow your foxglove seeds outdoors in early summer directly into their final positions. Alternatively, sow your foxglove seeds undercover in seed trays in the spring to plant out into the garden in early summer.
Do Foxgloves self-seed?
If you leave foxglove flowers to die back and produce seed heads, your foxglove will self-seed around the garden. This is a great way to get more of your favourite flowers for free! However, if you’d rather have more control over where your foxgloves grow, cut back your foxglove flowers before they run to seed in late summer.
Do foxgloves grow back every year?
Foxgloves spend their first year developing strong leaves and roots; they flower in their second year before dying back. Achieve a continuous foxglove flower display by leaving your flowers to self seed naturally so you always have plants that are about to flower in the garden.
