Upside down foxgloves flowers

whelzer

Hi,

From last years flowers I had about 30 foxgloves seedlings, started them too late (Sept?) but overwintered them in mini greenhouse and got them in the ground as soon as main cold spell ended. They have all grown well and are flowering away - bees and people all happy... but 5 plants are growing upside down flowers. Googling it tells me very little...

"It's just variation in the genes of seed raised plants. I expect a breeder might try to produce a new strain with upwardfacing flowers, but that would mean losing a lot of the charm of foxgloves."

Any further insight, much appreciated, upside down and normal neighbour pics below...

Jim_Hodge

It happens from time to time. It's a genetic twist. They don't do as well from a seeding point of view, as some pollinators don't enter the flowers. They're also no as attractive as a long spine of traditional foxgloves.

Thud

they sell these now
https://www.suttons.co.uk/flower-plants/all/foxglove-candy-mountain_mh7916?source=email-foxglove-090621&utm_source=RedEye&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=090621%20Foxgloves&utm_content=090621%20Foxgloves

The Continental Op

The OP should breed his and sell them as a new variety called Digitalis "Viagra".

JPup

I'm not sure you need to go to the effort of raising the seeds in a greenhouse. In my experience, foxgloves are very vigorous spreaders au naturel.

whelzer

JPup wrote: »

I'm not sure you need to go to the effort of raising the seeds in a greenhouse. In my experience, foxgloves are very vigorous spreaders au naturel.

They sure are but I don't want them in my lawn, veg/strawberry beds, front of boarders and literally every place not desired!

Somehow I ended up with an old flower pot in amongst some herb pots, in the last 2 weeks have transplanted 12 foxglove seedlings from it into pots. These must be from last years plants as current ones are not near seeding yet.

Living Off The Splash

We have Foxgloves sprouting up all over our garden. We love them. Bees love them. Love the white ones.....The plan is to keep the seeds of the white ones this year and see what happens when we sow them for next year.

SouthWesterly

I have them out in my field. Don't need any help from me

The Continental Op

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

We have Foxgloves sprouting up all over our garden. We love them. Bees love them. Love the white ones.....The plan is to keep the seeds of the white ones this year and see what happens when we sow them for next year.

Can't remember the name of the Garden but there is one in the UK thats open under the National Gardens Scheme where they only have white foxgloves (its a very large garden). I talked to the owner years back and they did that after having a mix of white and pink foxgloves and rogueing out the pink ones as soon as they showed colour.

Jim_Hodge

Very hard to get them true to colour when the purple ones are cross pollenating them. I've found it hit or miss if the seed produces Whites.