The tall, stately spires of foxgloves (Digitalis) bring a dramatic vertical element to any garden during their bloom time. Once the vibrant flowers fade, the plant’s appearance can become untidy, prompting gardeners to consider the next steps. Post-flowering care determines whether you encourage a second, smaller flush of blooms, ensure new plants for the following year, or simply tidy the garden bed.
NOTE: Foxgloves are highly toxic. All parts of the Digitalis plant contain cardiac glycosides, which can be poisonous if ingested. Always wear gloves when handling the plant, especially when cutting or disposing of plant material.
Immediate Deadheading for Extended Display
Removing the spent primary flower spike immediately after the blooms fade redirects the plant’s energy away from seed production. This action, known as deadheading, prevents the plant from expending resources on developing seeds.
To successfully deadhead for reblooming, use clean, sharp shears to cut the main stalk back to just above a lower leaf set or a visible side shoot. This lower point is often where smaller, secondary flower spikes are already developing. These spikes will produce a less dramatic, but welcome, second round of blooms later in the season, extending the overall display. This technique is particularly effective with short-lived perennial or robust varieties.
Managing Seed Production and Self-Sowing
The alternative to immediate deadheading is allowing the primary flower spike to remain and produce seed, which is necessary to grow new foxgloves. This choice sacrifices the potential for smaller secondary blooms, as the plant dedicates its resources to reproduction. Foxgloves are prolific seed producers, often forming naturalized colonies.
If you prefer the plant to self-sow, leave the flower stalks untouched after the blooms have dropped. The seed pods will naturally ripen and dry out over the summer, eventually splitting open to disperse seeds over the surrounding soil. For controlled propagation, monitor the pods until they turn brown and dry, but before they crack open. Cut the stalk, invert it into a container or paper bag to collect the seeds, and store them in a cool, dry place until sowing.
Final Seasonal Cutback and Life Cycle
Once the plant has finished its entire flowering cycle—after secondary blooms fade or seeds are released—it is time for the final seasonal cutback. Most common foxgloves are biennials, meaning the plant has completed its two-year life cycle and will naturally die. In this case, cut the entire spent flower stalk and remaining foliage back completely to ground level for tidiness.
Biennial foxgloves rely entirely on self-sown or collected seeds to produce the next generation. These seeds form a small basal rosette of leaves in the first year before flowering in the second. However, some newer cultivars and species are true perennials that flower for multiple years. For perennial types, the final cutback should leave the basal rosette intact, removing only the spent flower spike down to the foliage at the plant’s base. This method encourages the basal leaves to survive the winter, allowing the plant to regrow and flower again next spring.