A tall, biennial wildflower with spires of purple bells, important for bees and other pollinators in semi-wild corners of the garden.
Foxglove is often associated with woodland edges, banks and lightly shaded clearings. In a wildlife garden it brings height, colour and a steady flow of nectar in early to midsummer, especially where soil is allowed to stay a little rough and undisturbed.
Foxglove works best where the garden is not over-tidied: it often appears in gaps between shrubs, on banks, and in places where soil has been disturbed and then left alone. Once allowed to flower and seed, it will usually move itself to the positions it prefers.
The typical foxglove cycle is biennial: a rosette of leaves in the first year, then a tall flowering spike in the second year, followed by heavy seeding. Plants often die after flowering, but younger seedlings in the area take their place. Leaving some bare soil or lightly mulched ground makes it easier for those seedlings to establish.
To maximise wildlife benefit, avoid spraying around foxglove plants and let at least some flower spikes go fully to seed before cutting.
In small gardens, you can thin out dense clusters of seedlings and move a few plants where you want height and colour, leaving others to naturalise in wilder corners.
All parts of foxglove are poisonous if eaten. The plant contains cardiac glycosides, which affect heart function. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin, teach children not to taste or handle the leaves, and avoid growing it where grazing animals could reach it.