Foxglove Companion Plants

Creating a stunning garden is all about putting the right plants together. If you love the dramatic spires of foxgloves, choosing the right foxglove companion plants can make your whole border sing. This guide will help you pair them perfectly for color, health, and season-long interest.

Foxgloves (Digitalis) are classic cottage garden stars. Their tall, elegant flower spikes bring vertical interest and a touch of magic. But they can look a bit lonely all by themselves. The right companions fill in the gaps, support their growth, and create a layered, beautiful display that looks planned, not random.

Why Companion Planting Works with Foxgloves

Companion planting isn’t just about looks. It’s a smart gardening strategy. Good partners can help your foxgloves thrive in several ways.

Support: Foxgloves have hollow stems. Windy sites can cause them to topple over. Planting sturdy neighbors close by gives them subtle physical support.
Filling Gaps: Most foxgloves are biennial. They grow foliage one year, flower the next, and then often die. Companions can cover the bare ground in their first year and fill the space after they finish blooming.
Pest Confusion: Mixing plants makes it harder for pests to find their favorite target. A diverse planting is a healthier one.
Root Zone Benefits: Some plants have roots that improve soil struture or bring up nutrients from deep down, benefiting their neighbors.

Perfect Plant Partners: By Design Goal

Think about what you want to achieve. Do you want a soft cottage feel, a cool woodland glade, or a vibrant modern mix? Here are the best companions sorted by style.

For a Classic Cottage Garden Feel

This is the natural home for foxgloves. The goal is a joyful, slightly informal mix of shapes and colors.

Roses: The quintessential pair. Foxgloves add height behind bush roses or grow through climbing roses. They bloom at a similar time, creating a romantic look.
Hardy Geraniums (Cranesbill): These are fantastic for covering the base of foxgloves. Their mounded, spreading habit hides any leggy stems and provides months of color after foxgloves fade.
Lupins: Another spire-former, lupins bloom alongside foxgloves. Mixing their flower shapes—foxglove’s bells with lupin’s pea-like blooms—adds wonderful texture.
Catmint (Nepeta): The soft, billowing clouds of catmint foliage and flowers soften the vertical lines of foxgloves beautifully. It’s also a great pollinator plant.

For Shady or Woodland Areas

Many foxgloves thrive in dappled shade. These plants love the same conditions.

Hostas: Their bold, architectural leaves provide fantastic contrast to the fine texture of foxglove foliage and flowers. They fill the lower layer perfectly.
Ferns: Like hostas, ferns offer textural contrast. Their delicate fronds create a lovely, lush backdrop that makes the foxglove flowers pop.
Astilbe: These provide a different type of flower plume in shades of pink, white, and red. They enjoy the same moist, rich soil that foxgloves apreciate.
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra): Their arching stems of heart-shaped flowers bloom in spring and early summer, complementing the foxglove’s later show.

For Sun-Loving, Vibrant Displays

In full sun, foxgloves can pair with bolder, drought-tolerant partners.

Salvia (Perennial Sage): The vibrant blues, purples, and pinks of salvias look stunning with foxgloves. They attract pollinators all summer long.
Iris (Bearded or Siberian): Their striking, structural foliage and elegant flowers create a dramatic partnership. The bloom times often overlap nicely.
Alliums (Ornamental Onions): Their spherical flower heads are a perfect geometric contrast to foxglove spires. Plant them in drifts for a modern touch.
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis): Its scalloped leaves catch dew and rain, and its frothy lime-green flowers act as a lovely foil for more intense colors.

Planning and Planting Your Display

Getting the layout right is key to a natural, professional look. Follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Consider Height and Structure

Foxgloves are usually mid-to-back border plants. Place them first, then layer in front.

Back Layer (Tall): Foxgloves themselves, tall delphiniums, or hollyhocks.
Mid Layer (Medium): Roses, peonies, iris, or salvia.
Front Layer (Low): Hardy geraniums, catmint, lady’s mantle, or ajuga.

Step 2: Think About Color Harmony

Foxgloves come in pinks, purples, whites, and yellows. Choose companions that harmonize or contrast.

Soft & Romantic: Pair white or pale pink foxgloves with blue salvias, lavender, and white roses.
Bold & Vibrant: Pair deep rose or purple foxgloves with yellow achillea or orange geum for a striking contrast.
Cool & Calming: Mix white foxgloves with lots of green foliage from ferns and hostas, plus blue flowers.

Step 3: Succession Planting for Long Interest

Foxgloves have a specific bloom time (late spring to early summer). Plan for before and after.

Spring Before: Plant spring bulbs like tulips or alliums around your foxglove rosettes. They’ll bloom before the foxgloves stretch up.
Summer During: This is the main foxglove display with its companions like roses and iris.
Late Summer After: Choose companions that take over, like long-blooming perennials (Salvia ‘Caradonna’, Geranium ‘Rozanne’) or late-flowering annuals.

Plants to Avoid Near Foxgloves

Not every plant is a good neighbor. Some can casue problems.

Very Hungry or Thirsty Plants: Avoid aggressive feeders/ drinkers that might outcompete foxgloves for nutrients and water, like some large shrubs or trees.
Dense Groundcovers: Extremely vigorous spreaders (like some mints) can smother the first-year rosettes of biennial foxgloves before they get established.
Style Clashes: This is personal taste, but the elegant, informal look of foxgloves might not suit very formal bedding schemes with rigid lines of marigolds or begonias.

Caring for Your Foxglove Companionship

A little care ensures your display looks its best year after year.

Soil: Most of these plants prefer moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Add compost when planting.
Watering: Water new plantings regularly. Once established, many combinations are fairly drought-tolerant, but they’ll perform best with consistent moisture.
Deadheading: Remove spent foxglove spikes unless you want them to self-seed. Deadhead other plants like salvia and geraniums to encourage more blooms.
Letting it Self-Seed: If you want a naturalized look, allow some foxglove seeds to fall. The new seedlings will weave through your other plants, creating magical, unplanned combinations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What grows well with foxgloves?

Excellent companions include roses, hardy geraniums, catmint, hostas, ferns, salvia, alliums, and lady’s mantle. Choose based on your garden’s sun exposure.

Where is the best place to plant foxgloves?

Plant them in partial shade to full sun, in moist but well-drained soil. They work well in the middle or back of a mixed border where they can rise above shorter plants.

Do foxgloves come back every year?

Most common foxgloves are biennial, meaning they live for two years. However, they often self-seed freely, giving the impression of a perennial plant. Some varieties, like Digitalis grandiflora, are true perennials.

Are foxgloves poisonous to touch?

All parts of the foxglove plant are toxic if ingested. It’s advisable to wear gloves when handling them, especially if you have sensitive skin, and to wash your hands afterwards. Keep them away from children and pets who might try to eat them.

Can I plant lavender with foxgloves?

Yes, in a sunny, well-drained spot. The combination of lavender’s silvery foliage and purple spikes with foxglove’s taller spires can be very effective, especially in a gravel garden setting. Just ensure the soil isn’t too rich or wet for the lavender.

Choosing the right foxglove companion plants is a rewarding part of garden design. It turns a single beautiful plant into a whole scene. By thinking about height, color, bloom time, and growing needs, you can create a vibrant, dynamic display that has something to offer from spring through fall. Remember to experiment and see what combinations you love most in your own garden space. The results can be truely spectacular.