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White Foxgloves

sarahpnwsarahpnw Posts: 3
in Problem solving
I have a white garden and planted white foxgloves a few years ago. I let them self-seed, hoping for more white foxgloves. I had a bunch come back up and they're beautiful- however, most are pink. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening in the future? Also, can I dig up the pink ones that are flowering and transplant them? Thanks! 
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    when they're starting to grow, Look underneath the lowest leaves. If there's any hint of pink, they're going to be pink.
    If they're pure , pale green, they'll be white
    Devon.
  • sarahpnwsarahpnw Posts: 3
    That's such a great tip- thank you! Do you think it would be okay to transplant the ones I don't want in my white garden? Or should I wait for them to be done flowering?
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    they usually die after flower, try not to let them seed
    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Foxgloves are usually only happy to be transplanted in their first year while they’re still fairly small … after that they develop a a tap root and transplanting them usually results in failure, or at the very best a rather stunted flower spike than would otherwise be the case. 

    If ensuring all your foxgloves are white is important to you, then your best course of action is to buy and sow new seeds each year,  and not allow any self-seeding in that area as @Hostafan1 has said. 😊 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    We have had more white ones this year than ever. They are so outstanding but they are are in very different places in our garden. We allow the foxgloves to seed but understand if you just want one colour then you do need to be careful....but pollination may not produce new ones that are just white.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Seeds from cultivars can revert. Most of my white linaria has reverted to purple for the first time this year. :/
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    Foxgloves want to be purple, this is their natural colour. If you studiously remove all pink/purple forms before they flower then you will keep the white strain  but once a purple plant flowers it will release pollen which will produce purple flowers in subsequent years. 
    Or buy white seeds every couple of years.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Nothing to do with pollen.
    It is just simple genetics, white is a recessive gene.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    It is all to do with pollen. It carries the male genetic material. Because white is recessive, a white flowered plant can still produce purple seedlings if the pollen provider was purple.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    But, purple plants can produce white offspring.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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