Question
I live north of Fort Wayne, Indiana in zone 5.  I have a line of mature pines extending east from my house.  The lowest branches of the pines are at least 15 ft high so there is dappled light across the ground.  How close can I put digitalis purpurea 'foxy' to the pines?  Will they grow within the needle-drop area?  Also, will digitalis 'foxy' reseed itself if the plants are well-placed?  I have read the species does, but thought since 'foxy' is a hybrid it might not.  

This hybrid is a biennial that produces flowers both years and then dies off, correct?  Obviously, I don't know much about digitalis, I just think they look great.

Thank you.


Answer
Hi Renee,
Thanx for your question.  A biennial plant starts out life with all green growth the first year.  The second year, it blooms, goes to seed and dies.  Many digitalis are biennial.  Foxy is a hybrid and if it reseeds the progeny do not resemble the parent plants but can still be very attractive.

The problem with planting beneath a tree is that the trees suck up all the moisture and nutrients in the soil making it very difficult for smaller plants to compete.  Additionally, the thick pine mulch will probably prevent the plants from reseeding themselves.  If you are going to plant foxglove beneath your pine trees, you'll need to water them frequently and feed them every 10 days with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer.  I would not plant the digitilis any closer than 4 or 4 feet from the tree trunk.  I hope this helps.
Tom