Digitalis purpurea ‘Lucas White’
€12.50
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Description
Quick Facts
- Common Name: White Foxglove ‘Lucas White’
- Botanical Name: Digitalis purpurea ‘Lucas White’
- Plant Type: Biennial / short-lived perennial (self-seeds gently in the right spot)
- Mature Height: 90–120cm
- Mature Spread: 30–45cm
- Flowering Period: June to July (sometimes into August)
- Flower Colour: Pure white bells with soft speckling in the throat
- Foliage: Mid-green rosettes of softly textured leaves
- Hardiness: Hardy in UK & Ireland
- Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained soil; moderately fertile
- Aspect: Full sun to part shade (part shade is ideal in drier spots)
- Maintenance: Low
Description
Digitalis purpurea ‘Lucas White’ is a classic foxglove in its most luminous form—tall spires of pure white bells that glow in evening light and lift a border like a little column of calm. It has that cottage-garden romance foxgloves are loved for, but the colour makes it feel fresh and modern too, pairing beautifully with everything from soft pastels to deep purples and dark foliage.
The flowers rise from a tidy rosette of green leaves, bringing height and rhythm through early summer. Bees adore foxgloves, and ‘Lucas White’ is no exception—each bell is a landing place, and you’ll often see pollinators working their way up the spire.
Like many Digitalis purpurea, it’s often grown as a biennial, but it can self-seed gently in the right spot, popping up again in future years and giving your garden that natural, “it belongs here” feel.
Caragh Garden Notebook
Planting:
Plant in spring or autumn. Space plants 30–40cm apart. Choose a spot with moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Full sun is fine in Irish and UK gardens, but part shade is ideal if the soil dries out in summer.
Plant in spring or autumn. Space plants 30–40cm apart. Choose a spot with moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Full sun is fine in Irish and UK gardens, but part shade is ideal if the soil dries out in summer.
Soil Preparation:
Improve the planting area with compost or well-rotted organic matter. Foxgloves like soil that holds moisture but doesn’t sit wet. A yearly mulch helps keep roots cool and supports strong flowering.
Improve the planting area with compost or well-rotted organic matter. Foxgloves like soil that holds moisture but doesn’t sit wet. A yearly mulch helps keep roots cool and supports strong flowering.
Seasonal Care:
Water during dry spells, especially in the first season. After flowering, you can either:
Water during dry spells, especially in the first season. After flowering, you can either:
- Deadhead to tidy the plant and sometimes encourage a few side spikes, or
- Leave seed heads if you’d like it to self-seed and naturalise.
In late autumn, tidy away spent stems.
Pests & Problems:
Watch for slugs and snails on young plants. Good spacing improves airflow and helps reduce mildew. Remove any affected leaves promptly.
Watch for slugs and snails on young plants. Good spacing improves airflow and helps reduce mildew. Remove any affected leaves promptly.
Design Notes:
Perfect for cottage gardens, woodland edges, and naturalistic borders. Beautiful with roses, nepeta, salvias, astrantia, hardy geraniums, and ornamental grasses. The white spires also look stunning against dark evergreens or purple-leaved plants.
Perfect for cottage gardens, woodland edges, and naturalistic borders. Beautiful with roses, nepeta, salvias, astrantia, hardy geraniums, and ornamental grasses. The white spires also look stunning against dark evergreens or purple-leaved plants.
Propagation:
Grown from seed. (If you allow it to self-seed, seedlings may vary slightly, but are usually very similar and always lovely.)
Grown from seed. (If you allow it to self-seed, seedlings may vary slightly, but are usually very similar and always lovely.)
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