Digitalis obscura

Foxgloves are the quintessential English cottage garden plant. Most are biennials or short-lived perennials that self-sow like crazy and grow happily in any reasonably fertile soil in sun or shade. Deer and rabbit resistant.

Sunset foxglove is a rare beauty. It has long, willow-like, leaves that form a bushy clump. Tall spikes of rusty-red-orange-yellow penstemon-like flowers complement the grey-green foliage perfectly. This plant comes from the mountains of Spain and North Africa, and, unlike its English relatives, makes a perfect addition to the rock or drought-tolerant garden. A true perennial.

Distinctions: 2004 Plant Select Winner

WARNING: all plants of this plant are highly toxic

Zones: 4 to 8

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Type: Perennial

Height: 12 to 24 in.

Spread: 12 to 24 in.

Exposure: Full Sun to Shade

Soil Conditions: Well-drained, average, dry

Bloom Time: July to September

Bloom Color: Rusty Dark Orange/green-yellow

Native Range: western Mediterranean in eastern and southern Spain and northern Morocco

Image Credits:

• Image 1 (flowers) Javier Puig Ochoa, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 2 (foliage) Henry Brisse (upload by user:Abalg), CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
• image 3 (form) peganum from Small Dole, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons