Digitalis purpurea plants bear tall spikes of pink and purple flowers above green foliage

Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)

Native to western and southwestern Europe and northern Morocco, this plant is a biennial or short-lived perennial that readily self-seeds. It forms a basal rosette of softly hairy, oval leaves with toothed margins and prominent veins. Tall flowering stems carry pendant, tubular bells, usually arranged along one side. The flowers are typically rosy purple with dark spots inside pale throats, although white and other garden forms occur. Lower leaves have long stalks, while those farther up the stem are smaller and more nearly stalkless. The fruits are capsules containing numerous tiny seeds. Cultivated widely as an ornamental, it has become naturalized in Colombia. All parts are toxic if eaten. Photographed in the Eastern Andes of Colombia.

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Digitalis purpurea magenta flowers have pale throats patterned with dark spots

Digitalis purpurea pale purple flowers hang beside green buds on an upright stem

Digitalis purpurea purple flowers with spotted pale throats form a tall spike

Digitalis purpurea pink tubular flowers have hairy rims and dark spots inside white throats

Digitalis purpurea pink flowers with spotted throats hang from a wet upright stem

Digitalis purpurea pale pink flowers with dark throat spots hang from a curved wet stem

Digitalis purpurea purple tubular flowers and green buds hang from a slanting wet stem

Digitalis purpurea plants carry pink and purple flower spikes above leafy green rosettes