PlantSnap Photos of the Week 2020
Digitalis purpurea -- Ladies foxglove flower
Digitalis purpurea — Ladies foxglove flower
Digitalis purpurea, also known as the Ladies foxglove plant, is an herbaceous biennial plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, native to and widespread throughout most of temperate Europe.
The leaves are spirally arranged, 10–35 centimeters long and 5–12 centimeters broad, and covered with gray-white pubescent and glandular hairs, imparting a woolly texture.
The flowering stem develops in the second year, typically 1 – 2 meters tall, sometimes longer. The flowers are arranged in a showy, terminal, elongated cluster, and each flower is tubular and pendent. The flowers are typically purple, but some plants, especially those under cultivation, may be pink, rose, yellow, or white.
The inside surface of the flower tube is heavily spotted. The flowering period is early summer, sometimes with additional flower stems developing later in the season. The plant is frequented by bees, which climb right inside the flower tube to gain the nectar within.
Digitalis purpurea is the original source of the heart medicine digoxin, also called digitalis. It generally produces enough seeds so that new plants will continue to grow in a garden setting.
The ladies foxglove grows in acidic soils, in partial sunlight to deep shade, and in a range of habitats, including open woods, woodland clearings, moorland and heath margins, sea-cliffs, rocky mountain slopes and hedge banks. It is commonly found on sites where the ground has been disturbed, such as recently cleared woodland, or where the vegetation has been burnt.
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