DIGITALIS Lucas White

Overview and Features

Digitalis 'Lucas White' is a refined and compact foxglove cultivar, offering graceful spires of creamy white, bell-shaped flowers with lightly speckled throats. Bred for modern gardens, this variety combines a tidy growth habit, sterility for controlled performance, and extended flowering, making it ideal for borders, containers, or wildlife gardens.

Unlike traditional biennial foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), the 'Lucas' series—including ‘Lucas White’—tends to behave more like a short-lived perennial, blooming reliably in its first year and often returning for multiple seasons when given the right care.

• Height: 50–70 cm

• Spread: 30–40 cm

• Flowers: Ivory-white with subtle interior speckling

• Flowering time: Late spring to mid-summer (May–July)

• Habit: Upright, tidy, and clump-forming

• Type: Sterile perennial (non-invasive)

• Hardiness: RHS H5 (down to approx. -15°C)

• Attracts: Bees, bumblebees, and hoverflies

• Toxicity: All parts are toxic if ingested; handle with gloves

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Ideal Growing Conditions

‘Lucas White’ is well suited to a range of garden conditions and particularly useful in shaded or semi-shaded borders, where it offers light, height, and structure without overpowering neighbouring plants.

Light Requirements

• Prefers partial shade or dappled light

• Tolerates full sun in cooler, moist locations

• Avoid deep, dry shade or excessively hot, exposed positions

Soil Conditions

• Best in moist, fertile, well-drained soils

• Thrives in neutral to slightly acidic soil

• Add organic matter to improve soil structure if planting in heavy clay or dry conditions

• Avoid waterlogged areas

Planting Tips

• Plant in spring or autumn

• Space 30–40 cm apart for airflow and visual impact

• Grows well in mixed borders, cottage-style plantings, or container arrangements

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Care and Maintenance

Watering

• Water regularly, especially during dry spells in spring and summer

• Do not allow soil to dry out completely while the plant is in flower

• Water at the base to prevent fungal issues on foliage

Feeding

• Apply a balanced granular fertiliser in spring

• Boost with a liquid potash feed during flowering to prolong the display

Pruning and Deadheading

• Deadhead spent flower spikes to encourage secondary flowering

• Remove old flower stems down to the base when finished blooming

• Trim back foliage if it becomes untidy in late summer

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Winter and Longevity Care

• Hardy through most UK and Irish winters

• Protect young or newly planted specimens with a light mulch in autumn

• In cold or exposed gardens, consider planting near walls or among other perennials for shelter

• In early spring, remove old foliage to encourage fresh growth

Lifespan and Replacement

• Short-lived perennial; often best treated as a 2–3 year plant

• Does not self-seed, so consider replanting every few years for continuity

• Divide or replace clumps after a few seasons to maintain vigour

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Design and Companion Ideas

‘Lucas White’ provides clean vertical lines, refined colour, and pollinator appeal. Its soft, pale tones offer a calming presence in mixed borders or classic planting schemes.

Best Uses

• Cottage gardens and perennial borders

• Shady or north-facing beds

• Wildlife gardens and pollinator patches

• Containers for patios or courtyards

• Cut flower arrangements

Companion Plants

Pairs well with:

• Nepeta, Salvia nemorosa, and Geranium ‘Rozanne’

• Astrantia, Heuchera, and Campanula

• Alchemilla mollis, Aquilegia, and Lupins

• Soft grasses like Carex or Deschampsia for movement

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Key Benefits

• Compact and neatly upright—great for tighter garden spaces

• Clean white flowers contrast beautifully with colourful companions

• Extended flowering window with good deadheading

• Non-invasive and sterile—no self-seeding to manage

• Loved by pollinators but resistant to deer and rabbits

Standard Delivery per parcel*	€7.95
* parcels up to 30kg or within dimensions volume
* free delivery over €250 on standard items (excludes large/bulky items)
* multiple purchases qualify for combined delivery
For large items please ring us on 069-64084 to discuss delivery.

We currently only deliver within the island of Ireland, other countries can be quoted for by contacting [email protected] or via telephone on 06964084
 

Standard Delivery is FREE on orders over €250*

All standard deliveries will be completed within 5-7 working days via Fastway Couriers, any delay to this delivery time, the customer will be notified by One of our staff.

The in-Store delivery charge will vary compared with online, in-store delivery charge is done on a case by case basis. 

* Only mainland Ireland addresses qualify for free delivery.
 

Live Plants Delivery

Our live plants are packed with care and diligence by our staff, our horticulturists review each plant before despatch to ensure quality is maintained.
Live Plant delivery charges are not calculated on weight but on the space required per package to ensure safe delivery, so delivery charges may vary as some plants require more space than others when packed.
All live plants are despatched within 3-5 working days where possible, our couriers aim to deliver within 48 hours of despatch from our Garden Centre to allow the plant to arrive in healthy condition.
 

Click & Collect

Can’t wait for delivery? Why not try our FREE Click & Collect service? Simply make your purchase online and collect it from our store located in Croagh Co. Limerick. Our staff will contact you by phone when your order is ready for collection (Please allow 24 hours minimum). When collecting your item, call the store on 069-64084. We will then load into your car as required. This service is available in-store 9am – 6pm Monday – Saturday (No collections on Sundays)

 

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If you have any further questions about the online order payment please contact us via ­069 640 84 or mail.