Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd
Foxglove Alba White
Foxglove Alba White
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Foxglove 'Alba White' Seeds
If you have a dark corner that needs lifting, White Foxgloves are the answer. Unlike the common purple variety which can disappear into the shadows, these pure white spires act like vertical lanterns, catching every scrap of available light and glowing beautifully in the twilight.
This is the classic cottage garden favourite, stripped back to its purest form. It produces majestic, tall spikes (up to 1.5m) hung with large, thimble-shaped bells that are snowy white, sometimes with faint cream or green freckles in the throat. It is essential for the "Moon Garden" look and provides a cool, calm vertical accent amongst ferns and hostas.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
White Foxglove is a Hardy Biennial.
It follows the traditional two-year cycle:
Year 1: You sow the seeds in summer. The plant grows a low rosette of large, soft, green leaves.
Year 2: It sends up a towering flower spike, blooms in June/July, drops its seeds, and then dies.
Top Tip: This variety breeds relatively "true" from seed. If you isolate it from purple foxgloves, the seedlings it drops will likely be white too, giving you a self-sustaining colony.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Foxglove seeds are tiny (dust-like) and need light to germinate.
Germination:
Sow outdoors in a seedbed or in pots from May to July. Scatter the tiny seeds on the surface of the soil. Do not cover them—they need light to trigger growth. Keep moist. Germination takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
They love shade or semi-shade. They are the ultimate woodland edge plant. They thrive in humus-rich soil that holds moisture, so dig in plenty of leaf mould or compost before planting.
Care While Growing:
Planting Out: Move your young plants to their final flowering position in Autumn (Sept/Oct). This allows them to get their roots down before winter so they can rocket up in spring.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora |
| Common Name | White Foxglove |
| Hardiness | H7 (Very Hardy) |
| Light Required | Shade / Part Shade ⛅ |
| Height | ↕️ 1.2m - 1.5m (Very Tall) |
| Spread | ↔️ 45cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 45cm apart |
| Great for | 🌳 Under Trees 🐝 Bumblebees ☁️ Brightening Shade 🌙 Moon Gardens |
| Seed Count | Approx. 1000 seeds (Dust-like) |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
White Foxgloves look stunning against dark foliage or lush green backdrops:
- 🌿 Ferns & Hostas: Texture Contrast. The coarse leaves and tall spikes of the Foxglove create a beautiful structural contrast against the low, leafy mounds of Ferns and Hostas.
- 💜 Sweet Rocket 'Purple' (Hesperis): The Woodland Pair. Sweet Rocket blooms at exactly the same time (late spring). The rich violet-purple of the Rocket makes the white Foxglove look even brighter and cleaner.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow in summer. Plant out in autumn. Flowers the following summer (May-July).
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||||
| Plant Out | 🌱 | 🌱 | ||||||||||
| Flowers (Yr 2) | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
⚠️ Toxicity Warning
Foxgloves are highly toxic if ingested. This is a natural defence against rabbits and deer, but it means you should wash your hands after handling seeds or plants, and keep them away from small children.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Foxgloves are vital for bumblebees. The spotted throats of the flowers act as a "landing strip," guiding bees to the nectar hidden deep inside the bell.
