Foxglove Alba (White) Seeds

Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora, or White Foxglove, is a robust Hardy Biennial (H7). It is perfectly adapted to the UK climate, surviving temperatures as low as -20°C. It operates on a two-year cycle: growing a lush rosette of soft, green leaves in its first year and exploding into its iconic flowering spires in its second.

Naturalizing Hero: While individual plants complete their life cycle after flowering, this variety is an excellent self-seeder. If you isolate your 'Alba' patch from purple varieties, it will breed relatively true from seed, establishing a permanent, white-flowered colony that will provide your garden with free, architectural structure year after year.

Pollinator Haven: Listed on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, Foxgloves are vital for British biodiversity. They are specifically evolved to feed long-tongued bees, such as the Garden Bumblebee. The "landing platform" and internal guide-marks ensure they are one of the most visited plants in a summer cottage garden.

Foxglove seeds are exceptionally fine and require light to germinate, so they should never be buried deeply.

How to Sow:
Sow indoors in April to May or directly outdoors in May to July. Scatter the seeds onto the surface of moist, well-drained seed compost. Do not cover them with soil; a very fine sprinkling of vermiculite can be used but is not essential. Keep at 15-20°C; germination usually occurs within 14-21 days.

Where to Plant:
They thrive in shade or partial shade, making them the perfect solution for brightening dark corners or planting under deciduous trees. They prefer humus-rich soil; adding leaf mould or well-rotted compost to the planting area will ensure the tallest, strongest spires. They are remarkably tolerant once established.

Ongoing Care:
Move young plants to their final flowering positions in September or October so they can establish roots before winter. Once the main central spike has finished flowering, cut it down to the base; this often triggers the plant to send up several smaller side-shoots, extending the display through to late summer.

White Foxgloves provide a sophisticated vertical accent that pairs spectacularly with other shade-lovers from our collection:

• 💜 Purple Sweet Rocket (Hesperis): The Woodland Pair. Both plants thrive in the same dappled shade conditions and flower simultaneously in late spring. The rich, vibrant violet of the Hesperis makes the pure white of the Foxglove look even brighter and cleaner.
• 🌸 Red Campion (Silene dioica): The Naturalistic Base. Red Campion creates a frothy, rose-pink base that complements the architectural majesty of the white Foxglove spires perfectly. Together, they create a quintessential, wild woodland edge aesthetic that is alive with pollinators.

Sow in summer for architectural rosettes in Year 1, followed by majestic, pure white spires in Year 2.