Planting guide
When to plant foxglove
Tall bell-flowered spires for shady cottage gardens; poisonous, so keep away from kids and pets. In Melbourne it goes in Feb–May.
- Start as
- Seedling or Seed started indoors
- Flowers in
- 1+ years to the first crop
- Spacing
- 40 cm
- Depth
- 0.1 cm
- Sun
- Half a day (3–6 hours)
- Water
- Regular
- Effort
- Some care
- Colours
- purple, pink, white, yellow
- Frost-tender
- No
When it goes in
● means foxglove can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's climate zone and season, the way planting guides do it. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Melbourne | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Brisbane | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Perth | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Adelaide | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Gold Coast | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Newcastle | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Sunshine Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Canberra | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Geelong | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Hobart | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Townsville | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cairns | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toowoomba | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Darwin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Ballarat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mandurah | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bendigo | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Launceston | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mackay | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Rockhampton | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Coffs Harbour | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Blue Mountains | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bunbury | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bundaberg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Alice Springs | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mildura | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Port Macquarie | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| London | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Austin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Singapore | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mumbai | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Paris | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
How to plant foxglove
- Sow dust-fine seed on the surface in late summer or autumn.
- Plant out in part shade with moist, rich soil.
- Expect leaves in year one, flowers in year two.
- Wear gloves; all parts are poisonous.
Foxglove varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- Excelsior Mix Classicmixed · 43–60 wksMixed colours
- Gloxiniaeflora Mixed Classicmixed · 43–60 wksMixed colours
- Canary Island Classic43–60 wksSold by Diggers
- Dwarf Foxy Mix Classicdwarf · mixed · pot-friendly · 43–60 wksMixed colours
- Foxy foxglove Classic43–60 wksSold by The Seed Collection
Where to buy seeds
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Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Foxglove by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Not sure foxglove is right for your space? Answer a few taps and see everything that can go in this week.
Find what else you can plant now