Learn how to get foxglove seeds so you can plant more every year in your flower garden if you love putting them there.
Foxgloves are a common annual flower that you can find all summer long in flower gardens and landscapes. You can also buy them at most garden centers. You can use them to fill in a flower bed around your house or the back of your flower garden. I love them because butterflies love them and are just beautiful in a mixed flower garden border.
They bring in pollinators and good bugs, and they’re a great way to get more butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard.
This flower is very pretty and can grow up to 4 feet tall. It looks great at the back of your flower garden.
Though foxgloves are usually grown as biennial flower, they go to seed very readily. It’s possible to let the seeds fall and see if new plants come up the next spring, or you can save the seeds and plant them the following year.
If you learn how to gather foxglove seeds, you’ll never have to buy flower seeds or plants again, which will save you money. Plus, you can plant a lot more of them in your flower garden.
Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) are biennial flowering plants that produce tall spikes of tubular flowers in shades of purple, pink, yellow, and white. They are native to Europe and parts of Asia, but are popular ornamental garden plants around the world.
Foxgloves readily self-seed in the garden, but you can also easily collect seeds to sow yourself. Learning how to harvest foxglove seeds allows you to propagate new plants intentionally and share seeds with other gardeners.
When to Harvest Foxglove Seeds
- Foxglove seeds form inside pods at the base of flowers after blooming ends in midsummer.
- The pods mature from green to dry and brown, resembling a turtle’s beak.
- Pods at the bottom of the flower stalks ripen first.
- Harvest seeds when the pods start to crack open and release seeds. Don’t wait too long!
Signs That Foxglove Seeds Are Ready:
- Pods turn brown and brittle
- Pods split open partially
- Seeds visible inside pods
How to Collect Foxglove Seeds
Supplies Needed:
- Gardening snips or pruners
- Container for holding cut stems
- Sieve or strainer
- Envelopes or jars for storing seeds
Step-by-Step Harvesting:
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Choose dry, sunny day to collect seeds after dew has evaporated.
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Cut flower stalks with pruning snips, leaving some stem attached to seed pods
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Place cut stems in container to transport
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Hold stems over sieve and rub pods between fingers to release seeds.
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Alternatively, place entire dry pods in sieve and shake vigorously to separate seeds.
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Pick out any remaining plant debris from the seeds by hand.
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Transfer seeds to envelope or jar for storage.
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Label with plant name and harvest date.
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Use seeds soon for best germination rates. Can also store in cool, dry location.
Tips for Collecting Seeds:
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Cut pods into paper bag to catch any falling seeds if pods open before harvest.
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Cover ripening pods with cheesecloth to catch dropped seeds.
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Dry almost-ripe pods in shallow pan before removing seeds.
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Harvest seeds throughout pod ripening period for maximum yield.
How to Save Foxglove Seeds
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Allow pods to fully ripen and dry on plants before harvesting seeds.
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Make sure seeds are thoroughly dry before storage to prevent mold growth.
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Place seeds in paper envelopes or glass jars. Plastic can cause moisture buildup.
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Label envelopes with plant name, variety, and harvest date.
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Store seeds in cool, dry location away from direct sunlight.
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Ideal seed storage conditions are 40-50°F and 35-45% relative humidity.
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Viability decreases over time, so use within 1-2 years for best germination.
When to Sow Foxglove Seeds
Foxglove seeds can be sown indoors or directly outdoors.
Indoors:
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Sow 8-10 weeks before last expected spring frost.
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Sow seeds in pots or trays of moist seed starting mix.
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Barely cover with mix and keep evenly moist.
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Move to brighter light after germination.
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Harden off and transplant after last frost.
Outdoors:
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Direct sow in late summer or fall for flowers the following year.
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Choose a site with partial shade.
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Scatter seeds and lightly cover with soil.
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Water gently to avoid washing away seeds.
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Can also sow in early spring as soon as soil can be worked.
Growing Foxgloves from Seeds
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Foxgloves prefer rich, moist, well-draining soil. Amend soil with compost or manure.
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Establish in partial shade locations.
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Space plants 1-2 feet apart. Taller varieties may need staking.
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Water regularly first year and during flowering. Avoid wet leaves.
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Remove faded flower stalks to encourage reblooming.
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Allow some seeds to fall to ground for self-sowing.
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Divide overcrowded plants in spring or fall.
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Foxgloves self-sow readily. Carefully weed out unwanted seedlings.
Saving Foxglove Seeds
Learning how to harvest foxglove seeds allows you to collect fresh seeds for sowing new plants year after year. With proper storage, foxglove seeds remain viable for 1-2 years.
Collecting seeds from your own plants is rewarding and ensures a free supply for propagation. Plus you can share treasured foxglove varieties with other gardeners.
How to Collect Foxglove Seeds for Later
It is very easy to save foxglove seeds, and you can have a lot of them in just a few minutes. Which will turn in to tons of flowers you can plant next year for free!.
Here’s how to do it:
For many of the flowers I grow, like zinnias, echinacea, and cosmos, I pick the blooms as they appear or cut off the spent flowers. I don’t always do this with foxgloves, but if you do, you need to leave the flowers alone until you are ready to collect the seeds. Let them die back and let the seed head form.
The foxglove seed pods will form where the flower blossom was after the blossom has dropped.
After a few weeks you will see the seed pod swelling where the blossom used to be.
It’s not ready yet though!
This is the green seed pod. It is still immature and the seeds are still green inside.
You want to wait until the foxglove seed pod is completely brown and dry before collecting foxglove seeds.
It will look like this when the foxglove seeds are ready to be collected:
As you can see the pods are brown and dry and beginning to crack open.
You can even see some of the seeds inside the pod.
When the seeds are fully mature the pod will crack easily and allow the seeds to spill out.
You can get seed heads from plants by cutting them off with scissors or just pulling them off with your fingers. You can also burst the pod directly into your hand or container.
Pull all of the seeds out and place them in a container.
Before storing it’s very important that the seeds are completely dry.
If you’re not sure if the seeds are dry, you can store them in an open container or lay them out on a tray lined with paper towels for a few days to dry before putting them away.
Everything You Need To Know About Collecting Foxglove Seeds
FAQ
What do you do with foxgloves when they stop flowering?
Can you just scatter foxglove seeds?
How do you grow foxglove seeds?
Sow indoors early the next season, or broadcast outdoors to expand your foxglove patch. The tall, bright flower spikes foxglove plants produce, and the pollinators they attract, are worth any extra work required to harvest and store the seeds. Fortunately, this process is simple! Once completely dry, they are easy to collect and store.
When is the best time to harvest foxglove seeds?
The best time to harvest foxglove seeds is when the seed pods are brown and dry. The seeds will be ready to harvest when they can easily be shaken out of the pods. To harvest foxglove seeds, gently cut the seed pods from the plant. Place the seed pods in a paper bag and shake them to release the seeds.
When should foxglove seeds be collected?
You want to wait until the foxglove seed pod is completely brown and dry before collecting foxglove seeds. It will look like this when the foxglove seeds are ready to be collected: As you can see the pods are brown and dry and beginning to crack open. You can even see some of the seeds inside the pod.
Are Foxglove seeds poisonous?
Foxgloves are a beautiful flowering plant that are often grown in gardens. The seeds are poisonous, so it is important to harvest them carefully. The best time to harvest foxglove seeds is when the seed pods are brown and dry. The seeds will be ready to harvest when they can easily be shaken out of the pods.
Where do foxglove seed pods form?
The foxglove seed pods will form where the flower blossom was after the blossom has dropped. After a few weeks you will see the seed pod swelling where the blossom used to be. It’s not ready yet though! This is the green seed pod. It is still immature and the seeds are still green inside.
What do foxglove seeds look like?
It will look like this when the foxglove seeds are ready to be collected: As you can see the pods are brown and dry and beginning to crack open. You can even see some of the seeds inside the pod. When the seeds are fully mature the pod will crack easily and allow the seeds to spill out.