How to Grow Foxglove from Seed Step by step!
For a stunning burst of cottage-style blooms, growing foxgloves is the way to go! It’s a favorite in many gardens because of its beauty and ease to grow from seed. Read on for instructions on how to grow your own!
Growing foxglove from seeds is one of the easiest ways to get an abundance of these majestic cottage flowers in your garden.
The Foxglove is a perennial/biennial plant that produces bell-shaped flowers. Many new hybrids can flower in the first year.
If you want to grow the heirlooms, you can get them to bloom next season if you plant the seeds during the prior Summer and Fall.
So here is my trick. Many don’t plant their seeds until Spring but I plant mine as soon as they go to seed. In my garden, this is in mid-summer.
Sowing Foxglove Seeds Indoors
Sow foxglove seed in cell packs or flats, press into soil, and do not cover. Light aids germination.
Kept at 65-75° F., germination is in 14-21 days. Transplant seedlings into the garden 18-24 in. apart.
You can directly sow foxglove seed into prepared seed beds after the danger of frost.
You can find more on starting seeds indoors here!
Foxgloves in Spring
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Here is the Foxglove plant that the seeds will be collected from. This is in Spring while they are in full bloom.
Next to them is a beautiful white one. Thanks to the hummingbirds and bees, these have most likely cross-pollinated, there is no predicting what the foxglove seeds that germinate from these seeds will look like.
They can be either white, Fuschia pink color or a variation of the two.
When to collect Foxglove seeds
Here is a Foxglove plant stalk filled with seeds ready to be collected.
The foxglove flowers have completed blooming and the lower seed pods are drying and splitting open.
The timing of the foxglove seed pods ripening depends upon your climate and when the plants bloomed for you.
Mine bloomed in late May / early June and the seeds were ripening in July. (if you are buying seeds you can spread them in the Fall)
Is Foxglove Poisonous?
Yes, the foxglove plant, leaves, and seeds can be poisonous if eaten. But also be aware that for some people just touching the plant can cause skin irritation.
So wear gloves while you do this and avoid brushing up against the foxglove leaves. I have had no issues and don’t usually worry about it but I wanted to give you a fair warning.
How to collect Foxglove seeds
This is pretty simple and is how I save lots of different seeds.
Using a recycled plastic tub or another container, place it under the foxglove seed pod and clip it off with my hand pruners, letting it fall into the tub.
Also, you can use these cool snips, which are a bit less clumsy.
Go to another seed pod and do the same. When the seed pods are dry and splitting just barely bumping the stem will scatter seeds so be gentle and deliberate.
I get going hastily, as you will see in the video linked at the end of this post, as I don’t mind the seeds scattering a bit.
How to Grow Foxglove Seeds
When I wish to just sow an area full of foxglove seeds I cut the plant stem below the seed pods.
Carry it gently to the area to be seeded and shake the seeds out of the pods directly onto the soil.
See the blurry green stalk, that is being shaken above the area I want the seeds to fall.
Thousands of seeds fall onto the soil ensuring I will get some beautiful Foxgloves here next season!
The seeds will germinate during the summer and fall, hunker down during the winter months, then they will bloom for you the following summer.
If too many germinate in one area they are easy enough to dig up and transplant elsewhere in your garden or pot up to give away.
Or just pull the extras and toss them into the compost pile.
how to successfully grow
Foxgloves in Your Garden
Growing foxgloves in your garden can be tricky for some but I show you all my tips and tricks for success!
Another great way to grow Foxgloves from seed is Winter Sowing to plant out in Spring.
If you struggle with winter sowing then see my video 10 Winter sowing Issues and How to Avoid them.
Watch the video to see how to collect and or redistribute foxglove seeds step by step!
Pair your foxgloves with this cool garden water feature and you will have a Hummingbird paradise!
Until next time…Happy Gardening!
Hi, I’m Pamela
My goal is to cultivate the love of gardening and help make your gardening life more enjoyable!
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