Digitalis 'Dalmatian Rose'

Digitalis 'Dalmatian Rose': Freckled Pink Bells in Year One

Every spike the same height, every bell the same rose-pink, like a choir that actually rehearsed. 'Dalmatian Rose' blooms in its first year and lines up for the photo without being asked. PERFECT POSTURE, SPOTS INCLUDED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Rose'
• Common Name: Common Foxglove
• Series: Dalmatian series
• Height: 40–60 cm (16–24 in)
• Spread: 30–36 cm (12–14 in)
• Flowers: Rose-pink bells with speckled throats on uniform upright spikes
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July)
• Foliage: Compact green, lance-shaped leaves in a low rosette
• Features: First-year flowering, good cut flower

Where to Plant: Its even, compact height suits the middle of a border, a cottage bed or a large container. Plant a few extra in a cutting bed for bouquets.

Companion Plants: Use 'Dalmatian Rose' in a moist bed in sun or part shade with pink plumes and deep red hibiscus. Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' edges the front with black, grass-like tufts at 15 to 25 cm. Persicaria 'Superba' adds soft pink bottlebrushes at 60 to 90 cm from May to July. Filipendula 'Elegans' brings fragrant pink plumes at 45 to 75 cm from June to August. Hibiscus 'Blackberry Merlot' opens velvety deep red blooms at 120 to 135 cm from July to September.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in moist, well-drained soil improved with compost. Some afternoon shade is welcome in hot gardens. Keep it out of heavy, wet clay. Water during dry spells. Cut spent spikes down to the foliage to tidy it up and encourage side shoots. It's a biennial or short-lived perennial, so leave a few flower spikes to set seed and it will refresh itself. All parts are toxic if eaten, so wear gloves and keep it away from pets that like to chew.

History: Common foxglove is native to western and southern Europe and has long been grown in gardens and studied in medicine. The Dalmatian series was bred to bloom in the first year from seed with uniform height and strong stems, a big change from the usual two-year wait.

Final Thoughts: Snip a few spikes for the vase and watch the bees follow you inside. THE CUTTING GARDEN JUST GOT A LEAD SINGER.