With the right care, you can keep your foxgloves flowering for longer and ensure that foxgloves fill your borders next year
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Foxgloves are quintessential cottage garden plants. When I think of these blooms, I imagine an English pastoral landscape, a small cottage, wildflowers, and foxgloves shooting skywards, injecting pink and purple flashes of color in the borders. It is hard not to be romantic about this plant, for it is a timeless favorite of many gardeners.
Foxgloves typically flower from mid to late spring and bloom in a range of colors, from Barbie pink to Arctic white. Gardeners prize foxglove flowers for adding vertical structure to borders and containers, but they are also a popular plant for pollinators. The open, bell-shaped flowers attract bees and insects who can often be seen feasting on the nectar-rich blooms.
While you may know how to grow foxgloves, it is important to know what to do with foxgloves after they finish flowering. With the right care and attention, you can extend blooming, and ensure that your borders are filled with foxglove flowers the following year. Here, I share all I know about how best to care for your foxglove plants. ( credit: Getty s/Andrea Jhang / 500px)
Foxgloves are a beloved cottage garden flower that provide vertical structure and pops of color in spring and early summer, Their tubular flowers on tall stalks attract pollinators before going to seed Knowing what to do with foxgloves after flowering is key to getting the most out of these biennial plants
Overview of Foxglove Life Cycle
- Foxgloves are biennials, meaning they take two years to complete their life cycle.
- They grow leaves in a mound or rosette the first year.
- The second year, foxgloves send up their iconic vertical flower spikes.
- After flowering, foxgloves produce seeds before the plant dies back entirely.
Deadheading Foxgloves
Deadheading is removing spent blooms by snipping or pinching them off. It redirects the plant’s energy from seed production to growing more flowers. For foxgloves, diligent deadheading can yield a second flush of smaller blooms later in the season.
Here are some deadheading tips
- Use bypass pruners or scissors to snip off flowers once they fade or brown.
- Cut back to where the stem meets the basal foliage.
- Remove spent stalks before seed pods fully form to prevent self-sowing.
- Leave one or two flower spikes if you want to collect seeds.
- Discard faded flowers in the trash, not the compost pile.
Deadheading improves foxglove’s appearance and prevents rampant self-seeding It takes little effort and extends the flowering display
Saving Foxglove Seeds
Since foxgloves are biennials, saving seeds ensures you’ll have plants in the future.
Here’s how to save foxglove seeds:
- Identify one or two of the best flower spikes to leave for seed production.
- Once the flowers fade, seed pods will form. Allow these to ripen and dry completely.
- Tie a paper bag around the stalks to catch dropping seeds.
- Alternatively, let seeds fall and sprout where they land to naturalize foxgloves.
- For more control, collect dried seeds and sow them in prepared beds.
Save seeds from your favorite foxglove varieties, knowing color and traits won’t stay true to the parent plant. Growing foxgloves from seed is fun way to discover exciting new variations.
Preventing Spread Through Deadheading
In some regions like the Pacific Northwest and New England, foxgloves are considered invasive. Their prolific self-sowing can crowd out native plants. That’s why deadheading religiously is so important.
To prevent foxgloves from spreading:
- Deadhead frequently to interrupt seed production.
- Cut off spent flowers before seed pods fully mature.
- Remove all faded blooms, don’t leave any to go to seed.
- Discard deadheaded flowers in the trash or municipal yard waste.
- Pull out foxglove seedlings when weeding to reduce numbers.
With diligent deadheading, you can grow foxgloves without them taking over your garden or escaping boundaries.
Naturalizing Foxgloves
If foxgloves are not a problem in your area, allowing them to self-sow can create beautiful, naturalized colonies. Here’s how:
- After flowering finishes, leave spent stalks in place.
- Allow seed pods to fully ripen and release seeds.
- Seeds will fall to the ground and sprout below mature plants.
- Self-sown foxgloves create attractive drifts in shady borders.
- Enjoy the surprise of where foxglove seedlings pop up.
- Let nature take its course and foxgloves will spread gracefully.
Naturalizing foxgloves allows you to enjoy their charming flower towers for years to come with very little effort.
Overwintering Foxgloves
Remember, foxgloves are biennials so they’ll disappear below ground after flowering then sprouting again the following spring from self-sown seeds.
To overwinter foxgloves:
- Allow seeds to drop in late summer and sprout before winter dormancy.
- Remove old foliage once it dies back after setting seed.
- Mulch young foxglove seedlings to protect them through winter.
- Water when dry spells occur to prevent desiccation.
- Enjoy spring emergence of second year growth and flowers.
With basic care, foxgloves will make an encore performance in your garden year after year.
What to Do With Foxgloves After Flowering
Caring for foxgloves after flowering involves both discouraging and encouraging seed production. Through deadheading and seed saving, you can control foxglove spread while ensuring future flowers. Allow naturalized colonies or meticulously deadhead, the choice is yours. With the right post-flowering care, foxgloves will flourish in your garden for years to come.
Deadheading foxgloves (Image credit: itsabreeze photography / Moment / Getty Images)
Foxgloves are popular flowers that attract bees, and fortunately for us gardeners, they are not complicated plants to grow. Once your blooms begin to discolor, droop and fade, a simple but important job is to remove spent flower spikes. Always use clean, sharp shears, such as these secateurs from Walmart.
Regularly removing these flower spikes once they have finished flowering prevents the plant from producing seed, thus helping to conserve the plants energy. Efficient deadheading of foxgloves can help your plant to produce additional, later-flowering blooms. In my experience, second-flush foxgloves may only reach limited heights but will help to maintain interest in the borders for an extra few weeks.
Deadheading foxgloves will not be as time-intensive as the deadheading of other flowering plants can be. Zinnias, calendulas, or poppies, for example, can produce many blooms per plant, whereas foxglove clumps may only produce 5 or 6 stems.
Foxgloves flower from the bottom of the stem to the top. I would recommend snipping the stem down to the base, at the point where the foliage emerges, doing so once the stem has bloomed up until the last few inches. One of the most common deadheading mistakes is to leave the flower stems until all buds have flowered. This is to be avoided as doing so will allow the plant to begin seed production and waste energy that could be spent on extra flower stems this year.
Before you remove every flower stem, however, it can be a good idea to leave at least one stem to give you plenty of flower seed for the following year, which I discuss in the next section.
What to do with foxgloves after they finish flowering
Foxgloves are biennials, meaning that they will not bloom in their first year after germination. Over winter, young foxgloves will remain dormant before blooming the following spring.
With the right care, you can extend your foxglove flower show this year, while also saving seed so that foxgloves will grow in your yard for years to come.
My Experience with Foxglove! // Garden Answer
FAQ
Should I cut back foxgloves after flowering?
Biennial types can be dug up after they have set seed, but perennial foxgloves should be cut back between mid-autumn and spring, ready to bloom again the following year. More on growing foxgloves: Six plants to grow with foxgloves.
How to keep foxgloves blooming all summer?
Care. Foxgloves like moist conditions, so it is important to water regularly, especially during hot spells or windy conditions which can dry out the soil. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming and to prevent self-seeding. If you want them to self-seed, you can leave the stalks.
Do foxgloves come back every year?
-
Biennial Foxgloves:
- These foxgloves, like Digitalis purpurea, produce foliage and root growth in their first year, then flower and set seed in their second year before dying back.
- They are known for self-seeding, which can lead to a continuous display of flowers over time.
- These foxgloves, like Digitalis purpurea, produce foliage and root growth in their first year, then flower and set seed in their second year before dying back.
-
Perennial Foxgloves:
- Some foxglove species, like Digitalis parviflora and Digitalis lanata, are true perennials, meaning they flower every year for several years.
- Examples of perennial foxglove varieties include Apricot Beauty, Regal Red, and Snow Thimble.
- Some foxglove species, like Digitalis parviflora and Digitalis lanata, are true perennials, meaning they flower every year for several years.
-
Hybridization:
- Breeding has resulted in foxglove hybrids that can flower in their first year and continue to do so for a few more years.
- Breeding has resulted in foxglove hybrids that can flower in their first year and continue to do so for a few more years.
-
Tips for getting foxgloves to return:
- Allow some flowers to go to seed to encourage self-seeding.
- Collect and scatter seeds in the garden.
- Plant foxglove seeds or transplants in consecutive years to ensure yearly blooms.
- Allow some flowers to go to seed to encourage self-seeding.
-
Foxglove Toxicity:
- All parts of the foxglove plant are toxic to humans and animals, so be cautious when growing them, especially if you have children or pets.
- All parts of the foxglove plant are toxic to humans and animals, so be cautious when growing them, especially if you have children or pets.
-
Foxglove Care:
- Foxglove requires moisture to thrive, but it doesn’t like wet feet. Keep soil lightly moist and water regularly during dry spells.
- Foxglove requires moisture to thrive, but it doesn’t like wet feet. Keep soil lightly moist and water regularly during dry spells.
How to care for foxgloves after blooming?
Many types of plants benefit from deadheading, and foxglove is no exception. Deadheading foxglove plants may be done to remove unsightly finished flower spikes, deter self-seeding, and promote new growth. Occasionally, removing spent foxglove flowers will cause the plant to send up smaller, side flower spikes.
When should you cut back foxgloves?
Foxgloves have a relatively short bloom period in early to midsummer. The timing of cutting them back depends on your climate and whether you want to encourage a second flush of flowers: In warmer zones, cut back flower spikes as soon as blooms fade to encourage reblooming on side shoots.
What to do with Foxgloves when they finish flowering?
There are two distinct routes of what to do with Foxgloves when they finish flowering. Route #1: Spread the Foxglove Love! Let Foxglove reseed and form colonies throughout the garden. In the right place Foxgloves are an excellent choice for a self-seeding garden!
How do you replant a foxglove?
The first thing to do with any foxglove once it has finished flowering for the first time is to cut the spent flower spike off at the base of the plant. This will prompt the plant to create a second flush of flowers so you get to enjoy your foxglove all over again.
Do foxgloves flower again?
This will prompt the plant to create a second flush of flowers so you get to enjoy your foxglove all over again. The second flowering is always smaller, and it doesn’t always happen, although it will do for most plants. You can let your foxgloves go to seed and then let them self seed.
How do you care for foxgloves?
Insert stakes around clumps before blooms open. Use plant Velcro or soft ties to gently secure flower stalks to stakes. Divide overcrowded foxglove clumps in fall every 2-3 years. Cut back foliage to the ground after frost for winter interest and tidy appearance. Proper aftercare keeps foxgloves flowering happily year after year!
Can foxglove flowers be pruned?
You can prune foxglove flowers by cutting off the yellow-brown leaves and deadheading the spent flowers. Additionally, cut the stalk of the foxglove flower to promote growth and deter self-seeding. Let’s break down the process. Here’s what you need to do. 1. Remove The Yellow-Brown Flower Stalks