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What is eating the leaves and flowers of my foxglove?

SplandySplandy Posts: 161
in Problem solving
I have a few foxgloves at the moment and all of them have had leaves eaten. One of the plants I received was damaged in transit but I planted it to see if it would recover, thinking that they're quite tough plants, and something ate all of the leaves within a few days.

The one which is tallest and currently flowering has now also had its flowers damaged. I did find that some bindweed has wrapped itself around it this week but it's only been there for a few days and I can't imagine that would have done this much damage. No other plants have ever been damaged by it other than getting all wrapped up.
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  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Looks like slug/snail damage. Not had that problem before but maybe they were in the plants during transit.
  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161
    Every site online seems to tell me that slugs and snails won't eat foxgloves. I swear, gardening seems impossible at times. I have heavy clay soil, bindweed, horsetail and slugs and snails which kill everything I plant overnight. It is so frustrating! It seems as though I'll never be able to get it looking nice.
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    My foxgloves' leaves got eaten loads from last autumn to this spring as well, but they grow very fast, and were relatively big plants already at the time (I grew them from seeds last year), so it didn't stop them putting on a fabulous show of flowers at the moment. 

    But if you plant newly received young/small plants into the ground now, they can be more vulnerable to slugs and snails. 
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    @Splandy we are on heavy clay and have been in our home since 1978 and with all the compost (home produced) we still have heavy clay. Our fox gloves though don't suffer from slugs/snails. We have bindweed that will make the national collection and horsetails are continuing to move in. BUT..we have many things that the plants give us great joy and yes it is very frustrating at times but we don't give up.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited June 2022
    My foxgloves get demolished by slugs if in the ground. I grow them in pots. Don't believe what you read in books.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Slugs have eaten my foxgloves and pretty much every other plant that they aren't supposed to but it doesn't always happen. If the plants are bigger with strong growth they can often grow past the damage with a bit of luck. We had a really dry spring which has helped massively here. I do try and mulch around any irresistible plants with some bark which helps a little. 
  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161
    Thanks all. This plant is actually the biggest and strongest of the lot and I'd have thought beyond the stage of needing protection. They were planted maybe 3-4 weeks ago and the damage has really ramped up this week. I think that one's around 1m tall now. The other, smaller ones aren't so damaged but they're not really flowering yet so I'll see what happens with the rest. I might go out at night and see if I can catch them in the act.
  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161
    It is definitely slugs. I saw lots of trails over it when I got back from work yesterday and a slug was hiding inside one of the flowers! I snipped it off and put it in the garden bin. Is there anything I can do to protect them now? That one had a lovely display of flowers not so long ago and all of the lower flowers have been eaten already.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They eat mine, but I can't say I'm terribly bothered. Just part of gardening. They're tough - it doesn't harm them. 
    The answer is to have other planting in front and around them  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 5,291
    edited June 2022
    You have my sympathies. I grew foxgloves from seed and some went in a trough and the rest in pots. I planted out the ones from the pots and most have been munched even before full bloom. Very annoying. No doubt it was slugs as I have an army of them in my garden. The trough is glorious however, so will do that again for next year. 
    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
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