• Photo of Digitalis obscura (Digitalis obscuras)

Plant Profile: Digitalis obscura

Names

Dusty Foxglove, Willow Leaf Foxglove

  • Photo of Digitalis obscura (Digitalis obscuras)

Phonetic Spelling:dig-ee-TAH-liss ob-SKEW-ruh

Genus:Digitalis

Species:obscura

Family:Plantaginaceae

Willow Leaf Foxglove is a distinctive woody perennial native to Spain, easily recognized by its striking yellow-orange flowers adorned with darker, net-like veining and spots on the inner petals. This plant typically blooms from spring to early summer and thrives in drier climates and less fertile soils, although it does not fare well in wet clay conditions.

The charming bell-shaped flowers, which are brown and yellow, grow on upright woody stems and are complemented by ornamental lily-like leaves. This species is known to attract various hummingbirds and bees. For optimal growth, it should be planted in full or partial sunlight in lean to average garden soils, with deep but infrequent watering, as overly wet winter soils can be detrimental. Regular dead-heading can help minimize reseeding.

Generally low-maintenance, this plant may still be susceptible to issues such as southern blight, anthracnose, and fungal leaf spots, so it's wise to keep an eye out for these potential problems.

Digitalis obscura Feature Summary

Digitalis obscura Image Gallery

Tags

#hummingbirds
#poisonous
#full sun tolerant
#orange
#easy to grow
#low maintenance
#copper leaves
#ornamentals
#vibrant
#spring interest
#pollinator plant
#late spring flowers
#early summer flowers
#dry soils tolerant
#butterfly friendly
#partial shade tolerant
#bee friendly

Similar Plants

Digitalis obscura Feature Summary

Attributes
Used in medicine as a diuretic and to treat heart conditions
Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
Perennial
Wildlife Food Source
Flowers
Spikes of 1.5 inch tubular, burnt-orange flowers with red speckling inside
Pink
Gold/Yellow
Brown/Copper
Orange
Spring
Summer
6 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Long, narrow, leathery, gray-green leaves form a basal rosette, which extends to just below the first flowers
Green
Gray/Silver
Alternate
Rosulate
Lanceolate
> 6 inches
Leathery
< 1 inch
Poisonous to Humans
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as sometimes resulting in xanthopsia (jaundiced or yellow vision) and the appearance of blurred outlines (halos), drooling, abnormal heart rate, cardiac arrhythmias, weakness, collapse, dilated pupils, tremors, seizures, and even death
Leaves
Stems
Flowers
Roots
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Poisonous
Wildflower
Arching
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Cottage Garden
Drought
Deer
Rabbits
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Children

Digitalis obscura Attributes

Digitalis obscura: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Used in medicine as a diuretic and to treat heart conditions

Digitalis obscura: Country Or Region Of Origin

Spain

Digitalis obscura: Wildlife Value

Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds

Digitalis obscura: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Digitalis obscura: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Digitalis obscura: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Digitalis obscura Flowers

Digitalis obscura: Flower Description

Spikes of 1.5 inch tubular, burnt-orange flowers with red speckling inside

Digitalis obscura: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Brown/Copper
filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Orange
filter_vintage
Pink

Digitalis obscura: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Digitalis obscura: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Digitalis obscura: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Digitalis obscura: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Digitalis obscura: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Digitalis obscura: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Digitalis obscura Leaves

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Description

Long, narrow, leathery, gray-green leaves form a basal rosette, which extends to just below the first flowers

Digitalis obscura: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Color

spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Digitalis obscura: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Digitalis obscura: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Digitalis obscura Poisonous to Humans

Digitalis obscura: Poison Symptoms

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as sometimes resulting in xanthopsia (jaundiced or yellow vision) and the appearance of blurred outlines (halos), drooling, abnormal heart rate, cardiac arrhythmias, weakness, collapse, dilated pupils, tremors, seizures, and even death

Digitalis obscura: Poison Toxic Principle

glycosides

Digitalis obscura: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Digitalis obscura: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Digitalis obscura: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Digitalis obscura Whole Plant Traits

Digitalis obscura: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Digitalis obscura: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Digitalis obscura: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Digitalis obscura: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Digitalis obscura Cultural Conditions

Digitalis obscura: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Digitalis obscura: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Digitalis obscura: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Digitalis obscura: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Digitalis obscura: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Digitalis obscura: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Digitalis obscura Stem

Digitalis obscura: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Digitalis obscura Landscape

Digitalis obscura: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Digitalis obscura: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Digitalis obscura: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Digitalis obscura: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Digitalis obscura: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Digitalis obscura: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy