Candy Mountain Foxglove - Digitalis purpurea seeds

The 'Candy Mountain' Foxglove is the first variety to display upward-facing flowers. The widely spreading magenta pink corollas have a white marbled throat.

The Digitalis purpurea is the wild biennial or sometimes ephemeral perennial species of the Scrophulariaceae family that we encounter in clearings, forest edges, or simply along a path when the forest becomes less dense. It forms a basal clump of 20 to 40 cm (7.9 - 15.7 in) in width in the first year. In the second year, it produces tall flower spikes that can reach 2 meters (6.6 feet). Then the plants naturally replace themselves through self-seeding.

The foxglove is easily recognizable by its finger-shaped flowers, a form that has prevailed in its scientific and common names: shepherd's dice, witch's gloves, lady's gloves, glove flower, etc. The flowers are tubular corollas that are 4 to 5 cm (1.6 - 2 in) long, with fused petals, usually pendant with a slight upward inflection that reveals the throat. The 'Candy Mountain' foxglove belongs to the horticultural series 'Mountain' derived from Digitalis purpurea and is characterized by upward-facing flowers and a more widely spreading corolla than the typical variety. It produces large magenta pink bells with a marbled white and magenta throat from June to September. It blooms from bottom to top and offers nectar to bees and bumblebees.

With its mature height of 1.40 m (3.3 ft), the 'Candy Mountain' foxglove will be ideal as a colorful ground cover in the background of borders or to delineate different areas in small gardens. It is not very demanding in terms of soil, although it prefers humus-bearing and moist soil, but it especially fears water stagnation. It should be positioned in partial shade in forest edges, in lightly dense copse, or in an alpine garden.

The foxglove flower is surrounded by a sulfurous reputation. Used for white or black magic purposes according to legends, all are related to the digitalin present in all parts of the plant. It was later found to be a powerful heart tonic still used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Attention, seeds reserved for highly experienced gardeners who are used to sowing very fine seeds. These seeds are as fine as dust, barely visible to the naked eye.