Plant of the day is: Digitalis trojana or Helen of Troy foxglove
So I'm admittedly a very tactile person and this plant stopped me in my tracks one day. The leaves, oh the leaves. They feel amazing to the touch! Soft, nice, peaceful. They make lambs ears seem a paltry offering in my opinion. They're just wonderful, the flowers are nothing to scoff at either, a lovely peachy orange. Sometimes a plant picks me, so here it is.
Taxonomy/etc.: I actually had no idea that the Digitalis genus was as small as it is. There are only around 20 species (a few more if you consider some accepted hybrids). They are now in the Plantaginaceae or plantain family which has swallowed several genera recently. A very close relative of the horticulturally popular Penstemon. I'll admit, I've had problems in the past keeping the latin names straight with the common names. I finally found an unlikely ally to remember them. BP = Beardtongue + Penstemon. Digitalis is just foxglove, I've got no help for you there, you'll just have to remember by exclusion. Members of the family are native to Europe, Asia, northwestern Africa, and Australasia. Wait, what? Australasia, a region of Oceania comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the island of New guinea, and neighboring islands in the Pacific Ocean. You learn something new everyday folks. No native Digitalis here in the US as far as I know (please correct if I'm wrong), which is nifty.
Range: Wouldn't you know, it's indigenous to Turkey. A randomly appropriate Thanksgiving type plant of the day/week (more on that).
Description: Unlike many other members of the genus which tend to be biennials, D. trojana is a hardy perennial growing somewhere between 60-90cm (I've got to folks, it's an international thing as much for me as it is you). Leaves are lanceolate with fine gray haired margins. Flower stems emerge from an evergreen rosette (we shall see). The initial rosette leaves after germination are the fuzzy ones I mentioned above. VERY curious to see how the stem leaves compare. Blooms June-August.
Culture: Reportedly hardy to USDA zones 5 and 6. Leaves are lanceolate with fine gray haired margins. Supposedly long blooming and a bit more drought tolerant than some other Digitalis. Tolerates a pretty wide range of soils and light. One source said sunny, one source said shady. Perhaps part sun? A few reports say on the sunnier side and that feels right to me. Try it in sun. It DOES come from Turkey after all. Seed stores fairly well and germinates easily.
Not impossible to obtain, but a little uncommon. If nothing else, worth germinating for the feel of the basal foliage. It's luxurious. Like velour, but better.
As for the name, I really wish I had a good story for you. After trolling through about a dozen sites, I didn't find a dang thing. I like the plant, don't get me wrong, but maybe not enough to launch a thousand ships for it.
