Foxglove

Description:

The foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is indigenous to continental Europe and Britain. The foxglove has a basal rosette of generally dark green, rough, hairy, ovate to ovate-lanceolate leaves that are 10–25cm long. This rosette of leaves gives rise to densely hairy simple stems that grow up to 1.5 metres high. These spikes hold a one-sided array of tubular flowers, usually purple in colour although pink and white are sometimes seen. These tubular flowers are inflated, 2-lipped and bell-shaped, up to 6cm long and spotted maroon to purple on the inside.It has distinctive long flowering spikes and is a recognizable exotic species that has escaped from the garden environment to naturalise in New Zealand.

Habitat:

Its habitats include poor pastures, scrub and forest margins, stony river beds, roadsides and track sides.

Notes:

The foxglove is one of the most common naturalised species in the wetter parts of New Zealand.