Foxglove companion plants not only combine perfectly to give your garden an exciting visual, but they also gain tremendously from foxglove plants. Foxgloves are herbaceous biennials commonly grown for their tall, classy-looking flower spikes that are poisonous to humans and animals and are hardy in hardiness zones 4 to 10.
These tube or bell-shaped flowers come in a range of purple, pink, white, lavender, yellow, or red hues and bloom in late spring.
You can find out what other plants to combine with these already lovely flowers to elevate your landscape below.
Contents
Types of Beautiful Foxglove Companion Plants
1. Snapdragons
Snapdragons are cottage garden flowers that can be annuals or perennials. With over 20 species in this genus, snapdragons come in various sizes and every color imaginable. They got their name from their flowers, which have dragon-like faces, and how they snap together when pressed. In parallel to this, their flowers are produced in clusters with simple, lance-shaped leaves that are popular with children and loved by bees.
– Benefits
Companion planting foxgloves with fellow tall bloomers like snapdragons creates a magical theme in your garden.
Since snapdragons come in many colors, it should be easy to find ones that blend perfectly with your foxgloves, and this would add a significant beauty to your garden in a unique way.
– Planting Requirements
Snapdragons have similar planting requirements as foxgloves, so they can be grown in rich, moist, well-draining, acidic, to neutral soil. Some species of these plants grow best in partial shade, but most thrive best in full and bright sunlight. On another note the young snapdragons need to be kept moist regularly. However, once established, they will do well with weekly watering.
2. Roses
With over 300 species, roses are among the most popular and traditional plants to ever exist. Rose plants are woody, erect, or trailing perennial shrubs primarily grown for their lovely flowers, which come in various shades of yellow, pink, red, blue, maroon, etc.
Their flowers are also fragrant, depending on the conditions under which they are grown, they are also known for their vining ability in some cases. Remember that the stems on which these flowers are grown are covered in different sizes and lengths of sharp thorns.
– Benefits
You can plant foxgloves with rose plants to provide your garden with contrasting backdrops. Foxgloves with vibrant colors can be grown next to roses with dull colors to give a fantastic contrast.
– Planting Requirements
Roses thrive in full sunlight for up to six hours daily, but some varieties can do well in partial shade, which would not stress them, and this would depend on the flower’s diversity. However, the flowers might bloom partially when the given requirements are not met.
Which means that they are able to grow in any type of soil but do best in rich, loamy, well-drained, acidic, neutral soil. In addition, it is also key that you would regularly, deep water the roses to grow correctly, as it is in their requirements.
3. Hostas
Hostas are clump-forming perennial plants with lush, attractive foliage. These shade-loving plants are long-lived and easy to grow, making them a gardener’s favorite.
The leaves of hostas come in so many varieties ranging from crinkled, variegated, smooth, or heart-shaped, especially the younger ones, are even softer. However, hostas bloom small white flowers that are not showy, while others bloom long, white, tube-shaped, fragrant flowers.
– Benefits
Foxgloves make great hosta companion plants because they are both shade-loving plants, and foxgloves make good shade borders for hostas. In turn, hostas add a bit of texture to your hostas garden.
– Planting Requirements
Hostas are shade-loving plants, but some varieties grow best when they receive little sunlight daily. Hence, they thrive in partial shade. Hostas need rich, acidic, well-draining soil to grow and require regular watering as they can’t survive prolonged periods of drought. Therefore, loamy soil will do just fine when planting hostas, as clay soil holds too much water.
4. Fruit Trees
Fruit trees are long-lived, durable perennials that produce edible fruits for human and animal consumption. There are over 50 types of fruit varieties grown by fruit trees. Some of these include apples, cherries, cashews, pecan, guava, papaya, olives, peach, lychee, plums, apricots, and many more. All of these fruits contain essential sources of vitamins, and would be a perfect option to place next to your fox glove plant.
– Benefits
Growing foxgloves with fruit trees, such as cherry or apple trees, allows them to have a mutually beneficial relationship.
The fruit trees provide shade for the foxgloves, while the beautiful foxglove flowers attract pollinators for the trees. Fruit trees, however, also make good allium companion plants as well, due to similar benefits such as providing shades.
– Planting Requirements
Fruit trees are best planted in spring in moist, organically rich, well-draining soil. They must be planted in a good location, preferably where they can get up to eight hours of unfiltered sunlight daily, this is how these trees will thrive and produce flowers and fruit. On the other hand, you should water your fruit trees deeply and regularly, especially during the first few years of growth, and when they mature, you should water less frequently.
5. Coral bells
Coral bells are easy-to-grow, hardy, semi-evergreen perennials with striking foliage. They bloom in spring with elegant, bell-shaped flowers that grow in clusters and come in pink, red, bronze, or white colors with rounded and hairy leaves that have a different texture. They also make excellent cut flowers and have sweet nectar that is loved by birds and butterflies.
– Benefits
Coral bells can be grown in foxglove growing conditions, making them suitable ground cover companions for the plants.
Due to this reason they come in various colors, they complement and add texture to foxgloves.
– Planting Requirements
Coral bells are best planted in early spring in moist, nutrient-rich, acidic to neutral, well-draining soil. The plant is not particularly thirsty but will appreciate weekly watering, especially species planted in hotter regions. However, their wide varieties also grow best in partial shade, but some thrive in full sun in colder climates.
6. Daisies
Daisies are popular, low-maintenance, flowering plants that mostly come in white but have cultivars that can be in any color you can think of. These herbaceous perennials typically have small, white, spoon-shaped leaves that grow in a rosette around a round, yellow cluster of tiny flowers.
The stalks of the flower are leafless, and the flower heads have hairy leaf-like structures called bracts beneath. With over 20,000 species of daisies, you have many options to choose from when selecting the perfect daisies to grow with your foxgloves.
– Benefits
Daisies have vibrant colored leaves that brighten up your garden when planted with the equally brightly-colored flowers of foxgloves. Both plants also have similar growing requirements making them suitable to grow together. Furthermore, daisies would also make lovely phlox companion plants.
– Planting Requirements
Daisies grow best in full sunlight for up to six hours daily. They are also best planted in slightly rich, moist, well-draining soil but can tolerate sandy or clay soil. They require regular weekly watering when they have just started growing but are drought-tolerant when they mature.
7. Lavender
Lavender plants are unmistakable in any garden. These herbaceous evergreen shrubs have distinctive purple flowers with a unique, strong fragrance caused by the fine hairs, called indumentum, that contain essential oils and cover the stems and leaves of the plant.
The whorled flowers of the lavender plant are arranged on spikes that are tipped above the foliage. And lavender can also come in blue or lilac hues.
– Benefits
Lavender pairs well with foxgloves as their shrubs provide good ground cover for the plants. Plus they look stunning when grown together.
Animals like deer do not like lavenders at all, so planting them with foxgloves can help distract the animals from your plants. Lavenders can also be used as Agastache companion plants.
– Planting Requirements
A good thing about lavender is that it grows best in soil with low nutrients. Which means that you won’t need to amend the soil. However, the soil you use must be dry, well-draining, and neutral to alkaline.
In order for lavender plants to produce their best blooms, they must receive up to six hours of unfiltered sunlight daily, and they would bloom well throughout the season. They are drought-resistant when established but must be lightly watered when newly planted.
Conclusion
The beautiful tube-shaped flowers of foxgloves are perfect as tall borders and backgrounds in every garden. But when grown with other plants, they create a breathtaking sight. Hostas, daisies, and coral bells are examples of perfect plants to grow with your foxgloves.
- What not to plant with foxgloves: alyssums, succulents, and vegetable plants.
- Best foxgloves for shade: Pam’s choice, Rose shades, Glittering Prizes, or Purple Carousel.
- The most popular specie is the digitalis purpurea, a short-lived perennial foxglove.
Remember, if you’re looking to create a magical wonderland in your garden with your foxglove plants, consider growing any of these charming companion plants with it.
References
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/fruit-tree
https://www.britannica.com/plant/lavender
https://extension.umn.edu/flowers/growing-hostas-minnesota
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