Foxgloves are things of fable, fairytales and folklore; they’re also one of the plants that we get asked for a lot. Their name is well-known and loved, even amongst non-gardeners, but no-one knows where that name came from.
Some say that is merely a misrepresentation of ‘folk’s glove’ or gloves that little people might wear. Others say that the gloves were given by fairies to foxes to put on their paws so they could stealthily invade hen houses for their dinner. The mottled spots inside the ‘gloves’ are actually fairy handprints! Another tale tells us that the bell-shaped flowers would make a magical ringing to warn foxes when a fox hunt was about. Either way, foxes seem to be inextricably involved with foxgloves, or digitalis from the Latin for finger.
The genus digitalis contains nineteen species belonging to the family plantaginaceae. Most are native to central and western Europe, central Asia and northwest Africa but digitalis purpurea would be the one most commonly seen. This is the one of tall spires of flowers tucked under thick thatch roofs of country cottages, the quintessential cottage garden plant. Its pink-purple flowers are beautiful, dappled with spots inside – those fairy hand prints! Paradoxically, the plant is a deadly poison but also a life-saving heart medicine. It’s all in the dosage.
The Canary Islands, off the coast of Morocco, are home to many little-known flowering gems. One of these is the Canary Island foxglove, or isoplexis canariensis, another member of the digitalis family. Its apricot coloured blooms are exotic and tropical in looks with a very long-flowering season from March through to December. It is shrubby with glossy, deep-green leaves which make a great backdrop for the soft orangey tubular flowers which have a distinctive large upper lip, unlike other foxgloves. In flower, the spires can reach almost 2m tall, a glowing eye-catcher beloved by winged pollinators.
Usually found on the edges of wooded areas, they are happiest in a partially shaded spot with some shelter from hot afternoon sun and very strong winds. Easycare, they are very drought resistant and hate having wet feet; when grown quite dry they are hardy down to -5C. After a few years, it will lose its flowering vigour but it can be propagated from cuttings or seeds.
Sadly, it is now rare in the wild and hardly seen in cultivation either. But very recently a new hybrid has come onto the market, a cross between digitalis purpurea and isoplexis canariensis.
Once in a while a plant comes along that has ‘star’ written all over it and digiplex Canary Berry is generally considered as one of those. It has the best qualities of both parents with verdant rosettes of dark green, glossy foliage and spectacular spikes of hot orange-pink flowers with creamy throats speckled with burgundy – it’s a winning combination and a beautiful hybrid. The magnificent flower spikes, some 1m high, rise majestically to best display the flower-packed stems. It thrives on minimum care, just a soaking now and again, and, even when not in flower its lush, evergreen foliage looks good. Commonly known as the tender foxglove, it is hardy down to -10C so tough enough for even hillside dwellers and flowering from springtime through until cold weather hits. Its isoplexis heritage means that it will want more sun than most foxgloves and it has a good degree of drought tolerance.
Typical of its family, the entire plant is toxic if consumed, but bees and butterflies love working through its flowers and the entire plant will buzz with them. By the time you read this article, I’m excited to say that we will have these lovely plants in stock.
Those luminous burning flowers have a real glow, a tangerine dream of a plant. The psychedelic foxglove is well named!
FLORENA SUMMER SALE – 21st July to 31st July, both dates inclusive.
Open 9am until 2pm and closed Sundays and Mondays.
As many of you already know, every summer we have a super sale on plants. We close for holidays during the month of August so it makes sense to us to drop our stock levels. This has been a very strange year for all of us – in our lush green world too.
So this summer our sale will be more comprehensive than ever. Plants, trees, fruit and ornamental, climbers, palms, grasses, shrubs, succulents will all be at half price.
And we’ve also got some Covid survivors – they came through quarantine but are looking a bit pallid and tired. These will be reduced to knockdown prices, just to find them new loving homes.
So this is a sale you just can´t afford to miss – come and clean us out – and we’ll happily help you load it into your car!
Viveros Florena, Cómpeta, Málaga.
Tel: 689928201/681168400
