ISOPLEXIS. Canary Islands, Madeira. These are shrubby relatives of Digitalis, making bold displays of flowers and foliage. They are of moderate size and have rather thick, very leafy stems. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval, large, dark and often shiny. Elevated above them at the shoot tips in summer and fall are torch-like clusters of irregular orange to yellow flowers. Their impression is really quite unique. Sun or light shade, well drained soil, moderate watering. Their main limitation is their tenderness to cold: The shoots are damaged at around 25^oF., and rock-bottom minimum is about 20^o. However they are easily restarted from their abundant seeds, and the plants quickly reach flowering size.

canariensis. This is the larger of the species we offer, growing at least 4’ high, with erect, sparingly branched stems. The leaves are 3-6" long, pointed-oval in form, conspicuously toothed and deeply veined. The flower clusters are quite long, their many 1" flowers opening over several weeks’ time. Each has a short tube, a long, arching hood and three flaring lower segments. They are orange with darker spotting on their outer surface, paler within.

chalcantha. This is a somewhat smaller, bushier shrub with more slender stems and shorter, less deeply veined leaves. The flowers are of a tawnier orange color.