In nature they are commonly found in the summer rainfall areas of South Africa, especially the grasslands. Opportunistic annuals, they germinate best in disturbed areas like roadsides where they manage to grow, flower and seed before the onset of the dry, frosty winter. The wild foxglove varies in height, depending on the amount of water it receives during the summer. In the garden with regular watering they grow 1,5 - 2 metres tall.
Some plants become quite bushy while others remain single stemmed.
The soft, green leaves are about 50mm long and divided into 3 lobes with a bluntly serrated margin. The leaves are carried on long thin stalks up the stems. Plants with pink flowers usually have dark red stems while white flowering plants have yellow-green stems. Unfortunately the promise of an overwhelming display is never fulfilled as only two or three flowers on a stem open at a time. The bottom flowers open first and form fruits while new buds are still developing at the tip of the stem.