Digitalis davisiana was first scientifically discovered and collected in 1947 by the British botanist Peter Hadland Davis, who was very active in describing the flora of Turkey,[7] Davis had actually first discovered the species growing on Şandras mountain in Muğla vilayet, Anatolia, in July,[8] but he collected it again a month later in the mountains north-east of the city of Alanya, in Antalya vilayet.

These were distinguished by being herbaceous species with bell-shaped, ochre to yellow flowers with short pedicels to one side of the scape.

In this study the section Grandiflorae was redefined as being perennial or biennial, herbaceous, sparsely pubescent, leaves more or less smooth to the touch, and with flowers in one-sided racemes with short pedicels, a corolla which is bell-shaped or ventricose, ochre to yellow and with dark veins on the lower part.

[15] Digitalis davisiana was originally collected at approximately 1,000 metres in altitude in a forest of black pine (Pinus nigra).

[15] It has furthermore been recorded near Demirtaş, growing on rocky limestone slopes in somewhat open forests of Turkish pine (Pinus brutia) at 840 to 860 metres in altitude, in association with the other regional endemics: Bupleurum subuniflorum, Cephalaria isaurica, Ferulago isaurica, Peucedanum isauricum and Origanum saccatum.