Digitalis purpurea Camelot Rose - Foxglove seeds

The 'Camelot Rose' Foxglove is a variety that produces long clusters of magenta-pink flowers with a speckled purple-brown throat.

Digitalis purpurea is the wild species that we encounter in clearings, on the edges of woodlands, or simply along a path when the forest becomes less dense. It is a biennial or sometimes ephemeral perennial plant from the Scrophulariaceae family, forming a basal clump 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16in) wide in the first year. In the second year, it produces tall flower spikes that can reach 2 metres (7 feet). Then the plants naturally replace themselves through self-seeding.

The foxglove is easily recognisable by its flowers, which have given rise to its scientific and common names. The flowers are tubular corollas, 4 to 5 cm (2in) long, with fused petals that are usually pendulous with a slight upward curve that reveals the throat. The 'Camelot Rose' foxglove is a horticultural novelty that produces large magenta-pink bells with a speckled purple-brown and white throat from May to July. It blooms from the bottom to the top of the cluster and offers nectar to bees and bumblebees.

Reaching 1.20 metres (4 feet) high at maturity, the 'Camelot Rose' foxglove is ideal for creating colourful carpets in the background of flower beds or for delineating different areas in small gardens. It is undemanding in terms of soil, although it prefers humus-bearing soil. It likes moist conditions but dislikes waterlogged soil. It can be positioned in partial shade on the edge of woodlands, in sparsely populated woods, or in an alpine garden alongside colourful astilbes or masterworts.

The foxglove flower is surrounded by a notorious reputation due to its toxicity. Legends attribute it with magical properties, both white and black, all related to the presence of digitalin in all parts of the plant. It was later discovered to be a powerful heart stimulant which is still used in the pharmaceutical industry, in tiny doses.

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