Pink as a wild look
The species form of Digitalis purpurea is not truly purple but a pink-purple, and pale pink selections are common in gardens. Bells hang along one side of the spire, with a freckled throat that guides bees inside. Pinks fit easily into a woodland border with ferns and hostas, and they flower at a time when many spring plants have finished.
What pink foxglove means
Victorian flower dictionaries gave foxglove the meaning of insincerity, but modern gardeners enjoy it for its beauty and for the way it brings bumblebees into the garden. Searches about pink foxglove meaning usually lead back to that old language of flowers.
How it fares in Australia
- Best in cool, moist, partly shaded gardens in Tasmania, Victoria, the Canberra district and mountain areas.
- Struggles in Perth, hot inland areas and the tropical north, where summers are too warm.
- Flowers from about November to January in the south.
- Seeds sown in summer give plants that bloom in the second year.
Plants set a great deal of seed. Wikipedia lists the species as an established weed at several places in Tasmania, so deadhead before the capsules ripen and look up your state weed information if you live near bushland.
Safe handling
All parts contain cardiac glycosides, which affect heart rhythm. The ASPCA rates foxglove as toxic for dogs, cats and horses, and the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 can advise if a person has eaten any. Wear gloves, and rinse your hands once you finish with the stems.
