Do Foxgloves Smell?

Mistaken Identity

• Foxglove may be mistaken for a fragrant plant, because it is an old fashioned cottage garden favorite, often grown in the company of other sweetly scented species, like roses (Rosa spp.), generally hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. The San Francisco Botanical Garden, for example, grows foxglove along with more fragrant companion plants in its "Garden of Fragrance." It is also a traditional component of herb gardens, which are often filled with aromatic or fragrant species like English thyme (Thymus vulgaris), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Deer Stoppers

• Foxglove might also be suspected of fragrance -- either exuded by the flowers or the leaves -- because it is among those plants that white-tailed deer generally avoid. Spearmint (Mentha spicata), for example, hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9, falls into the deer-resistant category because of its fragrant leaves. However, deer avoid all species and varieties of foxglove not because of aromatic leaves, but because all plant parts are poisonous, containing powerful alkaloids that can be toxic to animals and humans. This is why the plants should be used with care around children and pets.

Foxglove Choices

• There are many species and varieties of foxglove that can be planted together with more fragrant species to create a pollinator-friendly garden. Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, grows between 2 and 3 feet tall, with big spikes of flowers in an array of pastel colors. In some locations the plant has the potential to be invasive. Rusty foxglove (Digitalis ferruginea) features even taller spikes of yellow to amber flowers with golden veins. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8. Hybrid strawberry foxglove (Digitalis x mertonensis), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, is another tall cultivar with coppery pink, freckled flowers.

Scented Substitutes

• One plant sometimes mistaken for foxglove is beard tongue or penstemon (Penstemon spp.). Like foxglove, most penstemon have little or no fragrance. However, one species, Palmer's penstemon (Penstemon palmeri), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 10, is fragrant and might be used as a scented foxglove substitute. Palmer's penstemon grows 4 to 5 feet tall, with an erect habit and green leaves that have a glaucous or waxy coating that make them appear gray-green. The tubular flowers are white with pink overtones and look, on close inspection, like a cross between a foxglove and a snapdragon.