Digitalis obscura - Foxglove

Digitalis obscura is a curious botanical shrub native to Spain, perfectly adapted to dry terrain and sun. It is a perennial with a stout habit, or a more or less ramified base, bearing spikes of small tubular flowers and very narrow foliage, somewhat reminiscent of a penstemon. Its flowers are small but very numerous, and far from being obscure, they are adorned with warm shades, in a blend of beige, ochre, copper and mahogany colours.  Unique and truly graceful, it is also very hardy in well-drained soil, even in the mountains.

Digitalis obscura is a woody-based herbaceous perennial plant in the Plantaginaceae family.  It is native to the mountains and coastal plains of Southeast Spain and North Africa. While it prefers dry climates at high altitudes, it adapts very well to other growing conditions, provided it receives plenty of sunlight and a gravelly or sandy soil, which is well-drained and not too chalky. Its drought resistance is proven when the plant is well rooted.

This upright foxglove will reach about 60 cm (24in) in height when flowering and spread over 40 cm (16in). Its stems, brownish at the base, bear narrow leaves 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) long, smooth, shiny, leathery, bluish-green or greyish, decorative, spirally inserted towards the lower part of the spike. This spike elongates in late spring, carrying numerous flowers 2 to 3 cm (1in) long on more than half of its upper part. Each brown-rust to beige flower shows a throat dotted with red. This flowering, which takes place from May-June to July-August, or even September depending on the climate, is nectar-rich and attractive to bees. This foxglove easily self-seeds where it thrives.

Many gardeners believe that foxgloves like slightly cool and shady places, which is true for the majority of them. However, there are some Mediterranean botanical species that are particularly interesting in dry gardens or simply in areas with little summer rainfull: Digitalis obscura, as well as D. lanata, D. lutea, and D. orientalis. Digitalis obscura loves sunny mountain scree with a south facing aspect, and also performs well in partial shade in hot and dry climates, in the company of rockroses, lavenders, savorys, cotton lavenders, and salvias (S. sclarea, S. palaestina, S. chamaedryoides).
Naturally, it found its place in our garden in full sun and in the scree garden, alongside grasses, Yuccas, and kniphofias. Its flowers also last very well in a vase.