Digitalis grandiflora seed
LATIN NAME: DIGITALIS GRANDIFLORA
COMMON NAME: Yellow Foxglove, Big-flowered Foxglove
The yellow foxglove is the woodland-edge cousin of the more familiar purple foxglove, its tall spires of soft, buttery-yellow bells lighting up the dappled shade in early summer. It forms a robust, short-lived perennial with a basal rosette of large, softly hairy leaves, and in its flowering season it sends up upright stems clothed in tubular, bell-shaped blooms that open from the bottom upward. Each flower is a warm pale yellow, spotted and veined inside with brown, and the spikes have a graceful, informal presence that suits the wild garden. Native to the woods and meadows of southern Europe and western Asia, it is a plant of the cooler hills and the woodland margins, where the soil is moist and leafy. Like all foxgloves, it contains potent cardiac compounds and is toxic if eaten — grow it for its beauty, not for any home use. It prefers dappled shade and rich, moist ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The yellow foxglove shares in the rich pharmacological legacy of its genus. Researchers study its cardiac glycoside content, comparing it with that of the common purple foxglove and the Grecian foxglove, and examining how cultivation affects the concentration of these compounds. The history of foxgloves in medicine, from the folk use of the leaves to the modern isolation of purified drugs, is a frequent subject in the history of pharmacology. Horticultural scientists investigate its cultivation requirements, since it is a popular perennial for the woodland garden, and breeders have selected forms with stronger flower colour and more compact habit. Ecological studies look at its role in the southern European woodland, where it provides nectar for bumblebees and other long-tongued pollinators. For a plant so widely grown and so chemically interesting, the yellow foxglove continues to draw attention across several fields. All parts are toxic and should never be consumed.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the yellow foxglove is a generous plant for the woodland edge. Its bells feed bumblebees and other long-tongued bees through the early summer, and its leafy rosettes give ground cover and shelter for small invertebrates. It is a natural choice for a wildlife-friendly woodland garden. Economically, its value is primarily ornamental — it is a popular and dependable perennial for the shade border, valued for its tall yellow spires and its easy nature. The genus as a whole has enormous pharmaceutical importance, but this species is not typically cultivated for drug production. For a grower, it is an easy and rewarding perennial, and for a gardener it brings a warm, golden vertical accent to the dappled shade. Remember that every part is poisonous, so handle it with care and never eat it. The tiny seeds germinate best on the surface in cool, bright conditions.
To grow the Yellow Foxglove from seed, to grow the yellow foxglove, sow the fine seeds on the surface of moist, leafy compost without covering them, and keep the tray in a cool, bright spot out of direct sun.
sow the fine seeds on the surface of moist, leafy compost without covering them, and keep the young foxgloves in a cool, bright spot out of direct sun.
LATIN NAME: Digitalis grandiflora
COMMON NAME: Yellow Foxglove, Big-flowered Foxglove, Large Yellow Foxglove
The yellow foxglove is a handsome and stately plant of the woodland edge, and its tall spires of pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers are a lovely sight of the early summer. It grows as a robust, short-lived perennial, reaching up to a metre, with a rosette of large, softly hairy leaves and, in early summer, tall, upright spikes of many large, tubular, bell-shaped flowers in a soft, pale yellow, spotted and veined within, borne up the stem and opening from the base upwards, followed by the small capsules of many tiny seeds. It is a species of the genus Digitalis, in the plantain family, native to southern Europe and Asia, and it is a handsome plant of the woodland garden, while its relatives include the celebrated foxgloves of the medicine chest.
The yellow foxglove belongs to the plantain family, Plantaginaceae, and it is a species of flowering plant in the genus Digitalis, native to southern Europe and Asia. It is known as the yellow foxglove, the big-flowered foxglove or the large yellow foxglove, and it is grown for its tall spires of pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The yellow foxglove has a genuine and distinguished place in both pharmacological and botanical research. It has been studied in chemistry and pharmacology, since the foxgloves are celebrated in the history of medicine, and researchers have examined the chemistry of the genus, identifying the cardiac glycosides, such as the digitoxin and the digitalin, which have been used in the treatment of the heart conditions, and which have made the foxgloves among the most important of the medicinal plants, while the study of the foxglove in the history of medicine has been examined. Because the plants contain these potent compounds, they are toxic, and researchers have also examined the safe handling and the uses of the plants, and any use must be left to the professionals. The plant has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a handsome perennial of the woodland garden, prized for its tall spires of pale yellow bloom, and its cultivation has been examined. For a plant of such stately beauty and such importance, the yellow foxglove has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the yellow foxglove is a generous plant of the woodland edge. Its tall spires of bloom feed the bees and the bumblebees, and its leafy rosettes give cover, while it is a stately presence in the woodland gardens and the meadows of southern Europe.
Its economic value is real and historic. The foxgloves have been among the most important of the medicinal plants, and the study of their cardiac glycosides has been celebrated in the history of medicine, while the plant is also a handsome perennial of the woodland garden. Please note that the whole plant is toxic, so it is best to grow and enjoy it in the garden without handling the leaves carelessly, and never to eat any part of it. For a grower, the yellow foxglove is an easy and stately perennial, and for a gardener it brings tall spires of pale yellow bloom to the early summer border. The seeds need light and no cold — sow them on the surface of a pot of moist compost in a bright, sheltered spot, keep them lightly watered, and theyll sprout within a couple of weeks, growing on into a stately, bell-flowered perennial.
This is a compact foxglove with light yellow flowers. It grows to a height of 25 – 35cm making it a great plant to grow in containers. Sow in spring and summer on top of the compost. The seed needs light to germinate. Keep at 15 – 20C. Harden off and plant out after the frost has past.