Foxglove 'Excelsior Mix' Seeds

Digitalis purpurea 'Excelsior Mix' 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 large, fuzzy rosette of leaves in its first year and exploding into its iconic 1.5-metre flowering spires in its second.

Improved Form: The 'Excelsior' strain is famous for its horizontal flower placement. Because the bells surround the entire stem rather than drooping to one side, the display is much denser and more symmetrical than wild varieties, making it the superior choice for formal borders and design-led cottage gardens.

Naturalizing Hero: While individual plants complete their life cycle after flowering, they are prolific self-seeders. If you allow the seed heads to ripen and drop, you will establish a permanent, wandering colony that provides free, architectural structure year after year.

Foxglove seeds are exceptionally fine (dust-like) 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 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, though they will tolerate sun if the soil remains moist. They prefer humus-rich soil; adding leaf mould or well-rotted compost to the planting area will ensure the tallest, strongest spires. They are the ideal solution for brightening dark corners or planting under deciduous trees.

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

Foxgloves are the structural stars of the shade garden. Pair them with these available shade-loving favourites from our collection:

• 🪙 Honesty (Lunaria annua): The Spring Bridge. Honesty and Foxgloves are the perfect biennial partners. The rich purples of Honesty provide late-spring colour, transitioning into spectacular silver seed pods just as the 'Excelsior' Foxgloves reach their towering peak.
• 🌸 Red Campion (Silene dioica): The Naturalistic Tapestry. Red Campion creates a frothy, rose-pink base that complements the vertical majesty of the 'Excelsior' spires perfectly. Both are native-style hero plants for woodland edges and attract a huge range of pollinators.

Sow in summer for architectural rosettes in Year 1, followed by majestic cylinders of colour in Year 2.