 Common Names: › Foxglove, Big-Flowered Foxglove  Family – Figwort family  L. – foxglove  Digitalis grandiflora Mill.– yellow foxglove  Scientific Name › Digitalis grandiflora http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile? symbol=DIGR4  Eastern Europe ›  The United States › Minneosta › Maine › Ohio › Michigan › Several Northeastern States (grandiflora)  Ontario, CA  Latitude Ranges › 3-85  Altitude › Sea level to 8,000 ft Site Conditions Traits Special Considerations Sunlight Life Cycle -Deer resistant -Partial shade -Perennial -Non aggressive Soil conditions Ease of Care But will self-seed under -Requires well- -Easy favorable conditions drained media Height -Non-native -High fertility -1.5 to 3 feet -not native to North Spread -1 to 1.5 feet America - Native to *Tolerates a wide Bloom-time central and southern range of soil -Early summer Europe, Siberia and conditions, except for -Mid-summer Asia Minor very wet or very dry. Flower color -All parts of the flower Performs best in rich -Yellow are poisonous soil that is moist but Foliage Color -Dark green well-drained. U.S. Hardiness Zone Shape Special Uses -Zone 3 to 8 -cushion, mound or -Cut flower clump  This species thrives in acidic soils in a range of habitats including open woods, woodland clearings, on moorland and heath margins, hedge banks, sea-cliffs, waste land, rocky mountain slopes and hedgebanks. It is common in disturbed sites, or on burnt ground  Clump forming perennial  Native to woods and stream banks in Central Europe  Large, tubular, funnel- shaped, soft yellow flowers up to 2” long.  Interior brown markings  Finely toothed leaves that can reach a length of 10” and a width of 2”  Early summer  Mid-summer  The leaves of Digitalis have been used as a cardiac herbal treatment since the 18th century  Italians have used it to clean fresh wounds  Increases the activity of all muscle tissues  3 types of Inflorescences  Used open-pollinated (2 years old)  Goal of the experiment: › Determine information to make it a seed propagated plant › Harvest seeds, clean, count and do germination studies. › Control group › Yarn used to show crosses on individual flowers to gather seeds  Seed Collection Data › Seeds were collected in the beginning of March › Control group was started end of January Crossed Plants = Yarn color Total Number of Seeds Collected

Digitalis (Dig) #7 x Dig #9 = #1 468 seeds collected (2 seed capsules) red Dig #5 x Dig #6 = Teal #1 704 seeds collected (3 seed capsules)

Dig #7 X Dig #8 = Blue #2 240 seeds collected (2 seed capsules)

Dig #3 x Dig #2 = Gray #1 & 2 348 seeds collected ( 2 seed capsule)

Dig #8 x Dig #9 = Yellow #1 323 seeds collected (1 seed capsule)

Dig #1 x Dig #2 = Blue 13 seeds collected (1 seed capsule) Dig #1 x Dig #3 = Red #1 & 2 215 seeds collected (2 seed capsules)

Dig #1 x Dig #4 = Teal #1 243 seeds collected (1 seed capsule)  April 19th, 2010  April 31st, 2010 Cross Germination Cross Germination Counts Counts #1 x #3 10/24 #1 x #3 14/24

#8 x #9 19/24 #8 x #9 21/24

#3 x #2 13/24 #3 x #2 21/24

#1 x #4 11/24 #1 x #4 16/24

#7 x #9 9/24 #7 x #9 18/24

#1 x #2 0/12 #1 x #2 0/12

#5 x #6 16/24 #5 x #6 22/24

#7 x #8 12/24 #7 x #8 18/24  Interesting History  Clever Name  Shade Tolerance Appeal  Adds a great vertical element to the garden and containers  Advantages › Shade Tolerant › Cut flower potential › Easily propagated › A lot of flower power  Disadvantages › Whole plant is toxic › Could possible become invasive  Propagate by seed, division or separation › Seed germinates best at 70 F to 75 F in humid conditions. › Will self-seed under favorable conditions.  Divide in spring or fall, separating new plantlets from the crown.  Media › Well drained media in 288 plug trays, 1 seed per plug  Stratifying › Not necessary, keep seeds in refrigerator until ready to be sown  Germination › 2 weeks  Plug Stage › 4-5 weeks  Growing On › 8-12 weeks  Total Production Time › 14-19 weeks  Genetic Improvement › Work on decreasing the toxicity of the plant or, instead, a marketing strategy that emphasizes the toxicity  Continued Experiments › Garden performance of crosses › Measurements of inflorescences as they develop › Preferences of customers of short vs. inflorescenes

Picture of Digitalis purpurea at the California Pack Trials 2010.  http://www.uk-herbs.com/images/yelfx.bmp  http://www.arkive.org/foxglove/digitalis- purpurea/range-and-habitat.html  http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile? symbol=DIGR4  http://www.impgc.com/images/PlantPictures/ Digitalis%20purpurea.jpg  http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/ digpurpureafoxglove.htm  http://www.floridata.com/ref/d/digi_pur.cfm  http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/ 179911/