General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in part shade. Prefers moist, organically rich, acidic soils. Soil must not be allowed to dry out. A biennial or short-lived perennial which may be grown from seed sown directly in the garden in spring after threat of frost has passed for flowering the following year. Only a basal rosette of leaves is produced in the first year from seed. This rosette overwinters as evergreen foliage, with slender flower spikes rising from the rosette in the following spring for bloom in late spring to early summer. Removal of flower spikes after bloom will encourage a secondary bloom. Cut all flowering stalks back to basal foliage before seed sets in order to encourage plants to act as perennials. If flower spikes are left in place after flowering and allowed to go to seed, plants will act more as biennials and will, in optimum growing conditions, freely self-seed. However the spent flower spikes can rapidly become quite unsightly as the seed develops and many gardeners choose to remove most spikes and leave only a few for self-seeding. Although this cultivar will come true from seed, it will do so only if isolated from other varieties of digitalis (potential pollinators). As with other biennials/short-lived perennials such as hollyhocks, these plants can remain in the garden for many years through self-seeding as if they were long-lived perennials, often establishing large colonies in optimum growing conditions.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

'Pam's Choice' features tubular, funnel-shaped, pendulous to horizontally held white flowers (.75 to 1.5" long) with maroon throats and interior spotting. Flowers are borne in terminal racemes (2-3' long) atop leafy, 3-4' (less frequently to 5') tall flower stalks arising from the centers of basal rosettes of oblong, medium green leaves. Flowers are closely grouped from top to bottom on each spike. Individual flowers resemble the snipped-off fingers of a glove, hence the common name. Blooms late spring to early summer. Digitalis leaves are a source of the drug digitalis and are highly poisonous. Plant juices may also cause allergic skin reactions. An introduction of Wayside Gardens of Hodges, South Carolina.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems. Powdery mildew and leaf spot, if left untreated, can depreciate foliage considerably by early to mid-summer. Dense crowns may rot in soggy, poorly-drained winter soils. Potential insect pests include aphids, mealy bugs, slugs and Japanese beetle.

Uses:

Tall spires provide architectural height to the border and cottage garden and are particularly effective in front of dark backgrounds such as provided by shrubs or buildings. Also appropriate for open woodland gardens and naturalized areas.

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