Foxglove 'Excelsior Mix'

Excelsior Mix Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Excelsior Mix Foxglove is a timeless cottage garden favourite, celebrated for its stately spires of downward-facing, bell-shaped blooms. This vintage mix showcases a harmonious palette of rose, cream, lavender, primrose yellow, and apricot, each flower marked with charming speckled throats. Blooming from late spring into early summer atop strong 2–3 foot stems, these elegant foxgloves provide vertical drama and refined beauty in borders, woodland edges, and cutting gardens.

A biennial, Excelsior forms a leafy rosette the first year before sending up towering flower spikes in the second, creating height, texture, and old-world charm. Its long, tubular flowers attract bumblebees and other long-tongued pollinators, enriching the garden ecosystem while delighting the eye. Perfect for romantic, naturalistic plantings or traditional English-style gardens, this mix pairs beautifully with soft grasses, delphiniums, and other vintage perennials for a classic, timeless display.

Caution: All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested—keep away from pets and small children. Purchaser assumes all liability.

DETAILS:
 
QTY: 75

TYPE: Annual/Biennual

SITE: Sun - Part Shade

DEPTH: Surface

GERMINATION: 14-21 days at 18-21°C

HEIGHT: 30 - 40"

SPACING: 9 - 12"

PINCH: No

HOW TO GROW:
Indoors (recommended): Sow seeds indoors 10–12 weeks before your average last frost date. Do not cover seeds, as light is required for germination. Mist or bottom water gently to avoid displacing the tiny seeds. Keep the soil moist until germination, which can be tricky and may take up to 21 days. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions before transplanting outdoors after the last frost.

Direct Seed (alternative): Sow seeds directly outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring. This is only recommended for areas with long growing seasons, as foxglove blooms in its second year. Keep the soil evenly moist until the plants are established.

Pinching and Support: Pinching is not necessary for foxglove. Taller varieties will require staking or other support to prevent the heavy flower spikes from toppling over, especially in windy locations.

Soil Preference and Watering: Foxglove prefers full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil. It requires consistent moisture throughout the growing season but will not tolerate soggy roots. Avoid overhead watering to reduce the risk of fungal issues.

Fertilizing: Fertilizing is not typically necessary. Amending the soil with compost at the time of planting is usually sufficient.

Harvesting: For bouquets, harvest stems when the bottom third of the flowers on the spike have opened. Cut in the early morning or late evening and immediately place in a vase of water.

Other Tips: Foxgloves are typically biennials, meaning they will grow foliage in their first year and produce beautiful flower spikes in their second year. They often self-sow, so you may have new plants returning the following season.