Digitalis Purpurea 'Monstrossa'

'Monstrossa' is a fascinating peloric form of the common foxglove. Tall spikes carry the familiar spotted pink-purple bells, but the stem is crowned by an extraordinarily large, open cup formed when the terminal flower develops with radial symmetry. This floral curiosity, once called the hen-and-chickens foxglove, has intrigued gardeners and botanists for generations because it reveals how strongly flower shape can change through mutation. The plants retain the dramatic height and bee value of ordinary foxgloves and are excellent in cottage or woodland borders. All parts are poisonous.