# purple foxglove (*Digitalis purpurea*) The purple foxglove is a tall, beautiful flower that can grow up to six feet high! Its lovely purple blooms attract bees and butterflies, making gardens colorful and lively. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Snaps:** 39 - **Habitat:** Woodlands ![purple foxglove](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Brdy-stonek_zvonku.jpg&width=800) Photo: Honza Groh, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brdy-stonek_zvonku.jpg) ## Appearance The purple foxglove has tall, striking spires of bell-shaped, deep purple flowers, often with dark spots and white edges inside. Its distinctive, drooping blossoms grow densely on one side of the stem, making it stand out from other wildflowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Plantaginaceae - **Genus:** Digitalis ## Interesting facts - Wow! Its tall flower stalk can grow up to a grown-up's height in just one summer! - Wow! Old stories say fairies used its bell flowers as tiny gloves! - Wow! Only big fuzzy bees, like bumblebees, can fit inside its special flowers! - Wow! The plant helps doctors make important medicine for people's hearts! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Guides:** Purple foxglove has speckled patterns inside its flowers that guide buzzing bees directly to its sweet nectar. - **Potent Protector:** Purple foxglove produces powerful chemicals, called cardiac glycosides, that protect it from hungry animals. - **Seed Shower:** Purple foxglove can produce thousands of tiny, dust-like seeds, helping it spread far and wide. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 60-180 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 4-6 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Deadly - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers. - **Pollinates:** European honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar from its tubular flowers. - **Depends on:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — uses its compounds for heart medication. ## Traits - [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Don't touch the flowers or leaves, as they can be harmful if eaten. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify purple foxglove? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is purple foxglove? 60-180 cm ### How wide does purple foxglove spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on purple foxglove? 4-6 cm ### When does purple foxglove bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is purple foxglove edible? No ### Is purple foxglove toxic? Deadly ### What is purple foxglove's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/armstrong-redwoods-state-natural-reserve) — California, US · State Park - [Benbow Lake State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/benbow-lake-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park - [Berry Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berry-botanic-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Bloedel Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloedel-reserve) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cougar-mountain-regional-wildland-park) — Washington, US · Park [View all places to see purple foxglove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/purple-foxglove) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Purple Foxglove: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/purple-foxglove)