Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora
A graceful twist on a classic favourite, perfect for brightening shady spots
Overview
Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora, commonly known as White Foxglove, is a stunning white-flowered form of the native Common Foxglove. With the same tall, elegant spires as its purple-flowered cousin, this variety offers pure white, bell-shaped blooms that bring light and contrast to shaded garden areas. It’s ideal for cottage gardens, woodland borders, and pollinator-friendly planting schemes.
Type: Hardy biennial (occasionally short-lived perennial)
Flower Colour: Pure white with pale speckling inside the throat
Foliage: Soft, mid-green, downy leaves in a basal rosette
Height: 1.8m (6ft)
Spread: 0.6m (2ft)
Flowering Time: Early to mid-summer (June to July)
Position: Best in partial shade, though will grow in full sun if the soil stays moist
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil; prefers slightly acidic to neutral conditions
Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -20 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H7)
Flowers and Foliage
This striking foxglove produces tall, upright spikes of tubular, snow-white flowers, sometimes delicately spotted on the inside with pale green or cream. The blooms form along one side of the flower spike and attract attention for their pure, clean appearance. The base of the plant features soft, downy, mid-green leaves arranged in a rosette, offering structure even when not in flower.
Garden Uses
White Foxglove is particularly effective in woodland-style plantings, where its pale blooms brighten darker areas. It works well with ferns, hostas, astrantias, and other shade-loving plants. It also provides a fresh contrast when planted alongside more traditional pink or purple foxgloves. Use in drifts for a natural look or in smaller groups for elegant highlights throughout the garden.
Wildlife Benefits
As with all foxgloves, Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora is excellent for pollinators. Its tubular flowers are especially attractive to bees, offering both nectar and a landing platform. Including this plant in your garden supports biodiversity and helps sustain beneficial insect populations.
Watering: Keep soil moist during dry periods, particularly while plants are young
Potted: Can grown in pots can be planted at any time of the year providing the ground is not frozen or waterlogged.
Deadheading: Remove spent flower spikes unless you want the plant to self-seed
Feeding: Apply a general-purpose fertiliser in spring for best flowering
Growth Habit: Typically biennial (grows foliage in the first year, flowers in the second), though may persist longer in ideal conditions
Pruning: Cut back after flowering
Propagation: Readily self-seeds; sow seed in late spring or early summer to produce flowers the following year
Safety Note
All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, so plant with care if you have young children or pets. Handling the plant may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals; gloves are recommended.
Summary
Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora brings a refined elegance to traditional garden schemes. With its pure white blooms and statuesque form, it’s perfect for adding vertical interest and a touch of light to shaded areas. Easy to grow, attractive to pollinators, and striking in both formal and informal settings, this white foxglove is a beautiful and beneficial addition to any garden.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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