When to plant foxglove
Plant foxglove between 2 weeks before and 1 week after the last spring frost in spring, or 6–8 weeks before the first fall frost for a fall crop. That works out to zone 5b (late April to mid May), zone 7a (early April to late April) and zone 9a (mid February to early March).
Foxglove planting dates by zone
| Zone | Spring | Fall |
|---|---|---|
| 4a | May 1 – May 22 | Aug 1 – Aug 15 |
| 4b | Apr 29 – May 20 | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| 5a | Apr 27 – May 18 | Aug 6 – Aug 20 |
| 5b | Apr 21 – May 12 | Aug 13 – Aug 27 |
| 6a | Apr 16 – May 7 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| 6b | Apr 10 – May 1 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| 7a | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Aug 30 – Sep 13 |
| 7b | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | Sep 6 – Sep 20 |
| 8a | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Sep 12 – Sep 26 |
| 8b | Mar 2 – Mar 23 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| 9a | Feb 16 – Mar 9 | Oct 1 – Oct 15 |
| 9b | Jan 21 – Feb 11 | Oct 15 – Oct 29 |
How to plant foxglove
| Plant as | transplants |
|---|---|
| Depth | Surface sow (needs light) |
| Spacing | 12–18 in |
| Light | Part shade |
| Time to bloom | 1–1 years |
| Hardiness | Perennial in zones 4–9 |
| Start indoors | 8–10 weeks before the last frost (zone 6a: Feb 19 – Mar 5; zone 8a: Jan 16 – Jan 30) |
Sow seed in late spring or early summer for flowers the following year.
All parts are toxic; plant away from where children or pets graze.
They self-sow if a few spikes are left to set seed.
When to expect flowers from foxglove
Most foxgloves are biennials: leaves the first year, flower spikes the second spring.
Exact dates for your town: planting calendar · frost dates by state.
More flowers to plant
Begonias · Coleus · Marigolds · Zinnias · Sunflowers · Cosmos · Mums · Lantana