Year-round beauty! This unusual and brilliantly colored perennial Foxglove is a delight in the garden in any season, for its bright green foliage remains evergreen, while its unusual "crushed strawberry" colored blooms arise by the dozen in late spring and early summer. Attractive to hummingbird and repellant to nibbling animals and pests, it's a must-have perennial.

Site this perennial near the rear of the border, because it will reach 3 feet tall in full bloom. The leaves are bright green and simply beautiful, reaching 6 to 8 inches long and remaining all winter in mild areas. The blooms are tightly packed, dangling "hoods" 2 to 3 inches long, colored a combination of copper and red and rose that is unlike anything else in the garden. Very poisonous, the flowers keep nibbling animals at bay, so they are welcome near your roses and other more vulnerable plants!

The flowers arise in late spring in most climates and remain for several weeks, carrying the garden into summer. They make excellent cut stems for the vase as well as garden standouts. And even after they pass, the foliage keeps the display lively and colorful.

Strawberry Foxglove is a hybrid of two popular species: Digitalis purpurea (a showy biennial) x Digitalis grandiflora (a wild perennial). What a happy marriage -- the result is the best characteristics of both within a single plant!

Most Foxgloves are biennials, offering one full and one partial season of flowers. But the Strawberry Foxglove is a true perennial, with 2 to 3 seasons of full bloom. Divide it every 2 years to keep the flowers coming -- or simply let it fling its seed into the garden each fall, and welcome the volunteers that appear next spring! They will replace their parents over time!

Foxglove is easy to grow from seed. Situate it in full sun (in Northern climates) or partly shade (in the South). Long-lived and trouble free, it asks only rich, moist soil that never completely dries out. Superb in borders, beds, and wildflower gardens. Space seedlings 12 to 15 inches apart. Pkt is 100 seeds.