There are different varieties of foxgloves. Here you can find out what distinguishes which variant and which types of digitalis are common in Germany and Europe.
Which foxglove varieties are there in Germany?
In Germany, the red foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), the yellow foxglove (Digitalis lutea) and the large-flowered foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora) are native varieties. They are distinguished by their flower colors: red-violet, yellow and yellow with a brown net pattern.
How many varieties of foxglove are there?
Worldwide there are25 varieties of the foxglove known by the botanical name digitalis. The different species grow in different regions of Europe, North Africa and Asia. Most foxgloves grow in southern Europe. Strongly toxic substances can be found in all parts of the foxglove. Among other things, the thimble contains the following substances:
- Digitoxin
- Gitaloxin
- Gitoxin
Which foxglove varieties are there in Germany?
TheRed Foxglove, theYellow Foxgloveand theLarge-flowered Foxglove are native to Central Europe. All three varieties are protected. You are therefore not allowed to dig up specimens growing freely in the forest. In addition to the three native foxglove varieties, the woolly foxglove is also spreading in Austria and Germany. In this case it is a neophyte that originally comes from southeastern Europe.
What characterizes the Red Foxglove?
The red foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) has spiral-shaped leaves andlarge violet or crimson flowers on its stems, which are approximately twometer highIn In rare cases this plant also produces white flowers. Small hairs on the flowers of this foxglove variety block the entrance of smaller insects. However, bumblebees can easily land on the front part of the flower, crawl into it and use the red foxglove flower as a food source during the flowering period.
What characterizes the large-flowered foxglove?
The large-flowered foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora) bears three to four centimeter-largeyellow flowerswith abrown net pattern on the inside. With its striking light yellow, the plant quickly stands out. The petals of this foxglove variety also have fine little hairs. The stem of the large-flowered foxglove usually grows between 70 and 120 centimeters high.
What characterizes the yellow foxglove?
The yellow foxglove (Digitalis lutea) also bearsyellow flowers, but they are only nine to 25 millimeters large. Compared to the other two varieties, the flowers of this foxglove variety are much smaller. This variety of foxglove can also be easily distinguished by its lanceolate, narrow leaves
Tip
Note hybrid varieties
There are also many hybrid varieties of foxglove. You can also use these when sowing seeds in the garden. This gives you flexible color design options. In addition, some of these foxglove varieties are considered particularly robust and easy to care for.
