Foxglove - A Stunning Poisonous and Medicinal Plant

In short: Foxglove (Digitalis) is a biennial to perennial with inflorescences up to 40 cm long and bell-shaped flowers up to 5 cm. All parts of the plant are toxic because of cardiac glycosides. Grow it in partial shade in humus-rich, slightly acidic soil, spacing plants 30-45 cm apart. Seeds germinate in light, so do not cover them.

Foxglove - A Stunning Poisonous and Medicinal Plant

Foxglove (lat. Digitalis) - belongs to the genus of dicotyledonous plants from the plantain family (lat. Plantaginaceae). Foxglove is widespread in Europe, Asia and Africa. The first mentions of its cultivation date back to the 16th century. There are approximately 35 species. Foxglove is a biennial to perennial plant with tubular flowers.

Foxglove - a profusion of purple-pink flowers or white or yellow ones - depending on the species you choose to grow in your garden. The inflorescence is up to 40 cm long. Flower calyxes up to 5 cm long. Your garden will transform into something fairy-tale beautiful.

Large-flowered Foxglove (lat. Digitalis grandiflora) - is a highly poisonous plant. It is a 40-120 cm tall perennial herb. The plant's stem is slightly angular and unbranched. Large-flowered foxglove blooms from May to June. Flowers grow in a one-sided raceme. The flowers are light yellow, brown-spotted inside. In the wild, foxglove grows in sunny meadows and rocky slopes at the forest edge. It is popularly cultivated as an ornamental plant. Provide it with plenty of humus-rich soil. Large-flowered foxglove tolerates temperatures down to -35°C.

Do not cover foxglove seeds with soil during pre-cultivation. They germinate in light!

Foxglove Suttons Apricot (lat. Digitalis purpurea Suttons Apricot) - the flowers of this foxglove are salmon-pink. It grows up to 1.8 m tall. During overwintering it tolerates temperatures down to -23°C.

Purple Foxglove (lat. Digitalis purpurea) - is a biennial to perennial poisonous plant that grows to a height of 60-150 cm. It grows wild throughout Europe. The stem is greyish hairy to dark red, shallowly grooved. Purple foxglove blooms from June to August. Flowers grow from the stem in a long one-sided raceme. They are drooping downwards, tubular bell-shaped. The flowers are purplish, with red and purple white-bordered spots. These are also found inside the flower. Flowers can be in various purple to white mutations. The fruit of purple foxglove is a capsule full of seeds. It prefers moist and slightly acidic soils. Rocky terrain suits it well. The soil should be rich in nutrients. In the wild it grows on rocky mountain clearings, often at the forest edge.

Growing Foxgloves

How to grow foxglove? Spread the purchased seeds on prepared substrate in a seed tray. The substrate should be moistened, preferably with a sprayer. We spread the seeds on the smoothed surface and do not cover them. Foxglove seeds germinate in light! If we decide on spring sowing, then we sow foxglove seeds from April to June in a greenhouse. We plant the plant in the bed in autumn.

In spring, thoroughly dig over the bed intended for foxgloves and work in a generous amount of well-rotted compost or farmyard manure. If you have over-limed the compost, do not use it. Foxgloves do not thrive in alkaline soil.

We recommend regular and generous watering. Foxgloves grow from a rosette of soft leaves. With regular watering, these remain beautifully green.

Care for abundant foxglove flowering requires:

• gradually removing spent foxglove flowers
• cutting back faded flower spikes

Foxglove is suitable for cutting. It looks impressive in tall vases in hallways or entrance halls. We can use it in dried arrangements. Cut it at full bloom and hang it upside down in a dry, well-ventilated room with flowers facing downward. You can also dry them under a covered shelter.

In autumn, remove the plant stems. It tolerates frost poorly. If frost is expected without snow cover, protect foxgloves with conifer branches, straw, or mulch.

Foxglove is suitable for perennial borders. For gardens designed in cottage garden style. For cottages and cabins near woodland. It looks magnificent! If you have small, curious children, consider postponing its sowing temporarily.

Foxglove Poisoning

All parts of the plant are poisonous. The plant is studied and used in medicine. It contains glycosides and steroidal aglycones. These substances affect heart function. After ingesting any part of foxglove, even a small amount, call emergency services IMMEDIATELY on 911 (or your local emergency number). Poisoning manifests quickly. With vomiting, inflammation in the mouth and nausea. With larger ingestion, vision and heart rhythm disturbances occur, followed by death. First aid - If poisoning is suspected, do not induce vomiting and immediately call the emergency services or your local poison control centre. Activated charcoal may then be given by a doctor. Do not use any foxglove-based medicine if it was produced by an amateur!

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Author: Hana Michalíková