edenhana

Foxglove

All parts are toxic if eaten, so think twice about where it goes if young children or pets use the garden. A biennial that puts up leaves in its first year and flower spikes the next, so sow every year for continuous blooms; an important early pollen source for bees.

Sun
partial sun
Water
moderate
Spacing
30cm
Difficulty
beginner
Grows in
Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
Mature height
1.5m
Flowering season
Jan, Nov, Dec
Attracts wildlife
Bees
Common diseases
Leaf spot, Anthracnose
Common pests
Aphids, Slugs and snails

When to plant by region

In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: February-March and September. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September.

Growing stages

  1. Germination & planting

    • Sow every year for continuous blooms, since it's a biennial that only flowers in its second year
    • Think about placement carefully, as all parts are toxic if eaten and children or pets use the garden

  2. Establishment (first-year rosette)

    • Puts up a rosette of leaves in its first year rather than flowering
    • Watch for aphids and slugs and snails on young foliage

  3. Vegetative growth

    • Leaf spot and anthracnose can appear on foliage in damp conditions
    • Slugs and snails continue to target soft leaves through the cooler months

  4. FloweringNovember to January, in the plant's second year

    • Sends up tall flower spikes in its second season, an important early pollen source for bees
    • Watch for leaf spot and anthracnose on foliage while in bloom
    • Toxic if eaten, so keep an eye on where fallen flowers and leaves end up around children or pets

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