Digitalis
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: Digitalis
- From: M* <M*@aol.com>
- Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 02:24:51 EST
Ok I did not go with the two parts I was plaining --but here is the end
product untill i get more information. I have incorprated more entries into
the text- so it is not the same as was posted earler.
Hope you like.
If you want a better looking copy to print - then go to
http://members.aol.com/Meum71/dig.html
Specialty Perennials
DIGITALIS
digitatus for finger
PLANTS FOR LIGHT SHADE
Digitalis or the foxgloves.
The Digitalis's are Perennials or biennials of the family SCROPHULARIACEAE.
Foxglove's tend to be medium sized plants with many containing poisons, with
basal leaves in
rosettes giving rise to tall spikes of flowers in mid to late summer. Leaves
are simple, mostly
entire some what hairy in most species and several times longer than wide.
Inflorescence
(flowering stems and flowers) erect with alternate leaves and numerous
flowers held mostly on
one side of the stems. Flower corolla is campanulate or tubular shaped. There
are around 21
species Native to Europe, North West Africa, and Central Asia.
All the Foxgloves are ornamental and look good in the garden or naturalized in
a field or damp
meadows or along wood edges. Most species are tolerant of a wide range of
soils as long as
they are not overly wet or dry. Plants are native to dry soils so they are
drought tolerant.
The name Digitalis means "finger" and it was once believed that foxes put them
on there feet to
raid the chicken coop - so that they would not leave a trace.
PROBLEMS:
All parts of the plant may cause severe discomfort if eaten, contact with the
foliage may irritate
the skin. Plants are effected by Southern blight, anthracnose, Fungal leaf
spots,
Digitalis is an example of a cardio-active or cardiotonic drug, in other words
a steroid which
has the ability to exert a specific and powerful action on the cardiac muscle
in animals, and has
been used in the treatment of heart conditions ever since its discovery in
1775. Over 3 million
Medicare beneficiaries were estimated to be using digitalis in 1987. These
plants are said to
repel deer?
PROPERGATION:
Seeds germinate in ten days at 65-75F. ><180,000 seeds per once. Do not
cover seed, light
helps gerimation. Perennials species can be divided in spring or midsummer
after flowering.
Below is the current list of plants that I know that are in cultivation.
Digitalis amandia = D. purpurea
Digitalis amandiana = D. purpurea
Digitalis ambigua = D. grandiflora
Digitalis canariensis = Isoplexis canariensis
Digitalis ciliata
Digitalis davisiana
Digitalis dubia
Digitalis eriostachya = D. lutea
Digitalis ferruginea
Digitalis fontanesii
Digitalis grandiflora
Digitalis grandiflora SUBSPECIES peloponnese
Digitalis kishinskyi = D. parviflora
Digitalis laevigata
Digitalis lamarkii syn D.orientalis
Digitalis lanata
Digitalis lutea
Digitalis x mertonensis = D.grandiflora x D. purpurea
Digitalis x purpurascens = D. lutea x D. purpurea
Digitalis obscura
Digitalis orientalis = D. grandiflora
Digitalis parviflora
Digitalis purpurea
Digitalis purpurea FORM albiflora
Digitalis purpurea SUBSPECIES heywoodii
Digitalis thapsi
Digitalis trojana
Digitalis viridiflora
Digitalis x grandiflora 'John Innes Tetra'
Digitalis have a great vertical effect in the garden with classic charm.
The really ornamental
forms of D. purpurea are showy and put on one of the best floral displays
around. D. purpurea
has many different seed strains that have been around for a number ot years.,
these include those
listed below.
Digitalis purpurea = A classic BIENNIAl meaning that they grow leaves
and roots the first
year and flower the second year and die after setting seed. Start seeds early
so that you get the
biggest plants possible. Or if you want smaller plants start later in the year
and keep plants
crowded. Plant out in late summer were you want them to grow or grow them in
pots. Seed
started in late summer or fall might not bloom the next year but the fowling
year.
This species is very variable with many different forms in the wild , they are
native to South
West and Western Europe, are hardy in zones 4-8 and grow from 3-6 feet tall.
D. purpurea tends to have one sided, tall flowering spikes with tubular
flowers of purple,
pink or white. The flowers are spotted or blotched inside with maroon or
purple. sow annually
for yearly displays, plants some times self sow and some times are short lived
perennials. cut
flower spike off to promote a second weaker flush of flowering. This species
Make's a very
showy cut flower. Hummingbirds will feed on them. flowers from early summer
to mid
summer. The true species is pink with heavy mottled flowers. The leaves are
wrinkled and
softly hairy, large and broad, Having long stems (petioles) becoming sessile
(with out stems) as
they progress up the flowering stems. There are perennial forms in the wild
from south west
Europe and Corsica.
For best flower display -water well but do not water log the soil. Plants are
found on acidic
soils in woods and on rocky slopes. Plants bloom in June to september.
Plants are easy to
grow in all soils except pure limestone.
Digitalis purpurea (COMMON foxglove) seed strains. seed germinates in 7-15
days at 70
degrees F. do not cover seed, light is helpful to germination.
Digitalis purpurea form alba or albiflora :Gorgeous white form.
D. amandiana = This is a form of D. purpurea from Portugal and Spain that has
long lasting pink
to strawberry colored flowers. Zones (5) 6-9.
D. purpurea 'APRICOT BEAUTY' = Pastel shades of apricot with some spotting on
3.5 feet
to 48" tall. Makes a nice cut flower. zones 4-10. One of the best for the
deep south. 325,000
seeds per oz.
D. purpurea 'DWARF SENSATION' = Three to four feet tall with three inch
long flowers
packed densely into the flowering spike.
D. purpurea 'EXCELSIOR' = Three to four or even five feet tall with flowers
carried almost
horizontal thus revealing the showy spottings and dots. whites, Soft yellow,
pinks, darker rose.
great as a cut flower. zones 4 -8. 180,000 seeds per oz.
D. purpurea 'FOXY' = "All American Winner" This plant some times acts like a
annual
blooming 5-6 months after sowing. Plants grow 36" tall and come in shades of
carmine, red,
pink, creamy yellow and white. Solid colors with flowers heavily spotted with
maroon dots.
zone 4-8, 200,000 seeds per oz.
D. purpurea 'GLITTERING PRIZES' = comes in a wide range of colors and grows
4-6 feet
tall. zones 4-8. plants have spotted and blotched mouths.
D. purpurea 'GIANT SHIRLY' = sny p. gloxiniaeflora 'THE SHIRLEY' Has
huge, long
bell shaped flowers of white, shell pink, rose and darker rose. Plants grow 3
to 5 feet tall and
have crimson or chocolate spotting. This foxglove is a very showy one grown in
pots.
D. purpurea 'GELBA LANZE' = "Yellow Spear" A form from Europe with pale
yellow
flowers.
D. purpurea 'GLOXINIODES' = Salmon pink, creamy yellow ,purple and pink
flowers that
are wide open and have a frilly marginated mouth. Lots of spots and blotches
in the mouth of
this flower. Plants grow 5-6 feet tall.
D. purpurea 'PELORIC' = sny p. campanulata. Huge open faced flower up to 2"
across
growded into a short dense spike. said to be some what like a "Canterbury
Bell' like bloom.
flowers much larger but lacking the nice "fox glove" shape. 4-6 feet tall.
Zones 4 -8.
D. purpurea 'SUTTON'S APRICOT' = Has apricot pink flowers. Might be the same
as D. p
'APRICOT"
D. purpurea subspecies? heywoodii = Said to be more perennial than most
forms, with soft
pink flowers with yellow throats and purple spots or flowers in some forms
creamy white or
even lightly yellow. 30" tall. Native to southern Portugal growing on granite
out croppings and
flowering in June. Leaves very white woolly. Zones (4)5 -8 .
D. PURPUREA subspecies mariana = Plants have white woolly leaves with
purplish pink
flowers. flowers are glabrous outside, native to south central Portugal and
north east Portugal.
Plants are found growing on rocky slopes and dry plains. flowering in summer.
Digitalis davisiana = A Perennial with linear lance shaped leaves. Leaf
edges finely toothed
and leaves hairless and mid green in color. Plants have pale yellow flowers
that are 1.5" long
with orange veining. Blooming in early summer on 30" tall racemes. Native to
turkey and hardy
in zones 8-10.
Digitalis dubia = A perennial species with wrinkled, lance shaped, dark green
leaves. Flowers
are born on 18" stalks and are purplish pink or off white with lots of spots
in side. flowering in
early summer. Plants are native from Spain. Zones 8-10.
Digitalis ferruginea = (RUSTY FOXGLOVE) dij-i-TAH lis fe-roo-GIN-ee-a. A
robust
growing biennial or short lived perennial from South East Europe to Turkey and
Lebanon and
the Caucasus. Growing in open woods and in grassy clearings or on rocky
slopes and road
sides. Dark green leaves growing in rosettes are lance shaped. flowers are
golden brown, 1.5
inches long with red brown veins. Plants bloom in mid summer. Hardy in zones
(4) 5-7. Four
feet tall and 18 inches wide. For well drained dry soils in full sun or part
shade. Some strains
have reddish colored flowers.
D. ferruginea 'Gigantea' - This form has larger flowers that are yellowish
brown and grows to
4-5 feet tall.
D. ferruginea 'Kirk Island' - This plant has pure yellow flowers and grows 3-5
feet tall.
D. ferruginea 'Yellow Herald' - "Gelber Harold". Plants are 4-5 feet tall and
have yellow
flowers on sterdy stems.
Digitalis grandiflora (YELLOW FOXGLOVE) dij-i-TAH-lis grand-di-FLO-ra This
plant is
clump forming and a short lived perennial or some times biennial. Leaves are
finely toothed
with prominent veins, mostly hairless ( I have had forms with densly hairy
leaves too) and often
glossy. Leaves are also mid green in color and 5-10 inches long. flowers are
large- about 1.5 to
2 inches long - well spaced on the stems and pale yellow in color with brown
veins inside
(some forms have no veining). blooming time is early and midsummer. Flowers
are downward
facing with wide mouths. These plants are attractive and showy in the open
woodland or on a
grassy slope. Many forms are long lived in the garden. This foxglove grows
2-3 feet tall and
18" wide. Native to Southern Europe to Siberia and Turkey. Zones 3-8. Grow
from seeds
planted in a warm humid container 75F. or make divisions in spring or after
flowering.
D.grandiflora 'Temple Bells' is a larger flowering cultivar of this species.
Digitalis x grandiflora 'John Innes Tetra' = A cross between D. lanata and D.
grandiflora.
tetraploidy hybrid with nice looking foliage and rose colored flowers.
Digitalis laevigata Clump forming perennials native to the western and
Central Balkans. Plants
are hairless with odovate shaped leaves and mid green colored basal leaves.
flowers are on
loose racemes and are held straight out horizontally from the stems. Flowers
are brownish
yellow in color and 1.5 inches long, the lower lip of the flowers are white in
color and reddish
brown veins and speckles fill the mouth of the flowers. Flowering occurs in
mid summer on 3
foot tall plants that are 18" wide. This species does best on limestone soils
and in a open wood
land setting. In the wild plants from the northern part of it's range tend to
have larger flowers
than the plants from the southern part of it's range which have flowers
.5-.75 inches long. Zones
7-9.
Digitalis laevigata subspecies graeca: Flowers are apricot bronze with white
lips and red
veins. This plant has many smaller flowers than the species with fine basal
foliage. 30" tall.
Plants are native to Thessaloniki southwards. Plants like a warm well drained
soil.
Digitalis lamarkii = syn D. orientalis. I do not know if this is a valid
species. Plants are from
Turkey and are found growing in dry rocky valleys or in open forest and
scrub. Plants start
flowering in May and can be found blooming till August. Plants rise from a
woody rootstock
forming a tufted rosette on linear leaves 8" long 0.3" wide. Plants have
leaf like sepals and are
glandular pubescent. Flowers are 1" long with hairy outsides and are whitish
in color with
reddish dots and veins. Flowers have a protruding rounded lower lip and are
well spaced on
thick stems.
Digitalis lanata (GRECIAN FOXGLOVE or WOOLLY FOXGLOVE) A clump forming
biennial or perennial native to Italy, the Balkans, Hungary and Turkey.
Leaves are mid green
and lance shaped growing to 5 inches long, hairless on their undersides and
sometimes white
woolly on the veins and having toothed margins. flowers are born in racemes
with leafy bracts
and are densely packed, blooming from the bottom up wards. Flowers are light
or pale yellow
cream or more generally light gray-brown or almost white, 1.5 inches long
with brown or
brown-violet veins and a lighter colored lower lip. The lower lip of the
flower is longer than
other parts of the flower and drops downward. Flowers woolly pubescent.
Stems are many
times reddish brown with many leaves. Plants bloom in mid to late summer
and grow 24" tall
and 10" wide and are evergreen were happy. This species is the source of a
cardiac drug called
Lanatacide and like all other species of Foxgloves- produces other glycosides.
Zones 4-9. or
7-9? (I could use some help here?)
Digitalis lutea (STRAW FOXGLOVE or YELLOW FOXGLOVE) dij-i-TAH-lis loo-TEE-a
Plants have dark green glossy leaves that are hairless with serrate teeth.
Stems grow 24" tall
and produce a large number of small light yellow flowers that are one inch
long. Plants repeat
bloom if dead headed and bloom well in a semi shady spot. I like this little
plant for it's long
life and neat tidy appearance with the flowers hanging down from the tall
stems. Plants grow
into clumps and have a graceful habit. They bloom in mid summer. This
foxglove does well in
lime alkaloid soils but I have had good success in lightly acid soils too. The
roots of this plant
are well branched. Division is easy in mid summer and so is seed. Native to
south west central
Europe to Italy and Spain and on the coast of North west Africa. Zones 3-9.
Digitalis lutea VAR. australis - Has smaller flowers but in most respects is
the same as the
species.
Digitalis x mertonensis = D. grandiflora x D. purpurea. These plants result
from a inter
specific cross and are clump growing perennials with glossy dark green leaves.
Leaves are
prominently veined and are toothed. Leaves are 3-12" long and have lightly
hair undersides.
Flowers are pinkish buff or salmon pink or some what reddish pink. Flowers
are large and
showy and stand out. flowers are 2.5 inches long and are born in late spring
and early summer.
flowering stems are up to three feet tall and plants grow 12" wide or so.
Plants come true from
seed and are of garden origin. Plants are a result of a colchicine treatment
in the mid twenties
resulting in a tetraploidy hybrid species. Zones 3-8.
Digitalis thapsi = Native to eastern Portugal and Spain. Plants have branched
flowering stems
with light purplish pink flowers that are pubescent (soft hairs) on the out
side. Foliage is dotted
with yellowish glandular hairs. similar to D. purpurea, except foliage covered
with yellow
glandular hairs, thus appearing softly woolly.
Digitalis x purpurascens = these plants are a natural hybrid between D.lutea
and D. purpurea.
this plant is reported in Belgium, Germany and spain. stems are much branched
and growing to
3.5 feet tall. flowers are 1.5 inches long with wide open spreading mouths
and bloom in June
to August. Flower color is light tannish yellow with a few dots in side.
flowers are born in
tightly packed clusters.
D. 'Glory of Rounday' = A garden hybrid? by D. lutea x D. x mertonensis. this
plant looks like
the above plant except it has larger flowers.
Digitalis obscura = Plants are native to eastern to southern Spain and
Northern Africa. This
species is found growing in open woods often on limestone outcroppings.
Plants bloom in May
to July. Plants have branched shrubby stems up to 40" tall. Leaves are
hairless and leaves are
lance shaped with some plants having linear leaves, gray green in color and
entire, 3-6 inches
long. Flowers are rust brown to yellow, or orange yellow in color. Flowers
are 1" long and
have red veins and red spottings in side. Racemes are nodding at the top.
Plants grow from 15"
to 50" tall, 18" wide and bloom in late spring to midsummer. Zones 4-8.
Digitalis parviflora = "Mahogany Foxgloves" Heavy foliage of ferruginea, but
dense leafy
spikes. This species is a perennial from Northern Spain and grows into nice
clumps with
Dense racemes of dark orangeish brown flowers or petite brownish purple
flowers. flowers
are .5 to .75 inches long and have a purple brown lower lip. Leaves are dark
green, softly hairy,
entire or slightly toothed. This species blooms in late spring or early
summer. Plants grow 24"
tall and 12" wide. Zones 4-9.
Digitalis viridiflora = I would assume that the "Foxglove" flowers of this
species would be
green or greenish yellow in color- due to it's name. But I am just making a
guess here.
Links to other sights with DIGITALIS If you like chemistry and history.
The use of DIGITALIS purpurea as medicine does it work?
Digitalis poisoning. Symptoms and such
More history and drug information.
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