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DIGITALIS


289


Dietes FORTNIGHT LILY, AFRICAN IRIS


Iridaceae PERENNIALS FROM RHIZOMES


ZZONES 8, 9, 12–24; H1, H2 FP FULL SUN OR PARTIAL SHADE DO MODERATE TO REGULAR WATER


actually bearded. Unlike all the others, this species has fl owers that last for 3 days before fold- ing; fl ower stems are perennial (see D. iridioides). ‘Variegata’ has dull green leaves with creamy yellow margins. ‘Sunstripe’ has yellow-striped leaves. D. hybrids. ‘Lemon Drops’ and ‘Orange Drops’ are hybrids of D. bicolor and resemble it except for fl ower color. ‘Lemon Drops’ is ivory with yellow blotches, ‘Orange Drops’ ivory with orange blotches. As is true for their other parent, D. iridioi- des, these hybrids’ fl ower stems last more than a year; see below for care. ‘Jack Catlin’, of uncertain parentage, grows to 11⁄2–2 ft. high and 3–4 ft. wide, with wider, more arching, dark green leaves. White fl owers are marked yellow. D. iridioides (D. vegeta,


Dietes grandifl ora


These irislike plants with fans of stiff, narrow evergreen leaves form dense, long-lasting clumps. The fl owers, resembling small Japanese irises, consist of three outer and three inner segments. They appear on branched stalks throughout spring, summer, and fall, sometimes well into winter in mild climates. Bloom bursts seem to occur at 2-week inter- vals, hence the common name “fortnight lily.” The fl owers come in solid colors—white, cream, yellow; each of the three outer segments features a small blotch of contrasting orange, yellow, or brown. Each fl ower lasts only a day (with one exception), but the supply of fl owers on a stem is seemingly endless. Excellent in permanent landscape plantings with peb- bles and rocks, shrubs, and other long-lived perennials. D. bicolor. From South Africa. Stems 2–3 ft. tall. Flow- ers about 2 in. wide and circu- lar in outline, light yellow with dark brown to maroon blotches. Flower stems last only one year. D. grandifl ora (D. iridioi-


des ‘Johnsonii’). From South Africa. This is a somewhat taller (up to 3 ft.), larger version of D. iridioides and is usually sold as a variety of that species. Other differences include brown markings at the bases of inner segments and, on outer seg- ments, yellow blotches that are


Moraea iridioides). From East Africa. Stems to 3 ft. tall. Waxy white fl owers to 3 in. across have yellow-orange blotches, a few orange marks at bases of inner three segments; three style arms—appendages radiating from fl ower’s center— are usually pale violet. To pre- vent self-sowing and prolong bloom, break off blossoms indi- vidually. Don’t cut fl ower stems (they last for more than a year) until they clearly have stopped producing blooms; then cut back to lower leaf joint near base of stem. ‘John’s Runner’ is a dwarf form growing only 1–2 ft. high and 2–3 ft. wide with white fl owers marked with yellow and purple. Spent fl ower stalks produce plantlets that root as the stalks fall over, allowing the plant to spread. For the plant sold as D. iridioides ‘Johnsonii’, see D. grandifl ora.


CARE


Plant from containers (bare rhi- zomes are not sold) at any time of year, setting plants about 2 ft. apart. All types look best with good soil and regular watering; but once established, they will perform satisfactorily even in poor soil or with infre- quent or erratic watering. Clumps can remain undisturbed for years; when you need to divide, do so in fall or winter.


Digitalis FOXGLOVE


Plantaginaceae


PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS ZZONES VARY BY SPECIES


FPSEXPOSURE NEEDS VARY BY SPECIES


O REGULAR WATER, EXCEPT AS NOTED


b ATTRACT BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES


X ALL PARTS ARE POISONOUS IF INGESTED


D. grandifl ora (D.


am bigua). YELLOW FOXGLOVE. Biennial or short-lived perennial. Zones 1–10, 14–24. To 3 ft. tall, 11⁄2 ft. wide. Toothed leaves wrap around stem. Flowers are 2–3 in. long, yellowish marked with brown. ‘John Innes Tetra’ is a choice hybrid to 20 in. high, with gray-green leaves and pale yellow fl owers richly netted with gold and brown. ‘Carillon’, to 12–15 in. high, has light yellow fl owers. Full sun or light shade. D. laevigata. Perennial. Zones 3b–10, 14–24. To 3 ft. high, 11⁄2 ft. wide, with smooth, narrow dark green leaves and inch-long, creamy yellow fl owers speckled with purplish brown. Full sun; tolerates light shade. D. lanata. GRECIAN FOX-


GLOVE. Biennial or short-lived perennial. Zones 2b–10, 14– 24. To 2 ft. high and 1 ft. wide, with cream to light tan fl owers netted with brown. Full sun or light shade. D. lutea. Perennial. Zones


Digitalis purpurea


Mainly from Europe and the Mediterranean region, these erect plants grow 2–8 ft. high, forming low clumps of hairy gray-green leaves topped by spikes of tubular fl owers shaped like the fi ngertips of a glove. Flower colors include purple, yellow, white, and pastels. Com- mon foxglove (D. pupurea) is widely grown for height and color display in shaded gardens, though it will thrive in full sun in cool-summer regions. In parts of California and the Pacifi c Northwest, it has escaped from gardens to decorate roadsides. Other, less well-known species are deserving subjects for bor- ders, woodland edges, and larger rock gardens. Most tend to be biennials, but some can be coaxed into a second year of bloom if spent fl owers are removed before they set seed. D. ferruginea. RUSTY FOX-


GLOVE. Biennial or short-lived perennial. Zones 1–10, 14–24. To 4 ft. tall, 11⁄2 ft. wide, with stems densely clothed in deeply veined leaves. Long, dense spikes of yellowish fl owers net- ted with rusty red. Full sun or light shade. ‘Gelber Herold’ and ‘Gigantea’ are common varie- ties similar to the species.


1–10, 14–24. Mediterranean native. To 2–21⁄2 ft. high, 15 in. wide, with narrow, tightly packed spires of pale yellow fl owers dotted with brown. ‘Flashing Spires’ has leaves splashed with creamy yellow. Partial or full shade; can take full sun in cool-summer climates. D. × mertonensis. Peren- nial. Zones 1–10, 14–24. Spikes to 2–3 ft. high, bearing attractive coppery rose blooms above a foot-wide clump of furry leaves. Though a hybrid, it comes true from seed. Partial or full shade; can take full sun in cool-summer climates. D. obscura. NARROW-LEAF


FOXGLOVE. Woody-based peren- nial. Zones 2–10, 14–24. To 11⁄2 ft. high, 1 ft. wide; lance- shaped leaves and spikes of drooping brown-and-yellow bells. ‘Sunset’ is a dwarf selection. Takes full sun or light shade, well-drained but not rich soil, and occasional deep watering. D. purpurea. COMMON


FOXGLOVE. Biennial or short- lived perennial. Zones A2, A3; 1–24. Variable, appearing in many garden forms. Bold, erect growth to 4 ft. or taller, with stems rising from clumps of large, rough, woolly light green leaves. Short-stalked stem leaves become smaller toward top of the plant; these are the


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