Foxglove
Foxglove commonly refers to *Digitalis purpurea*, a tall, biennial or short-lived perennial flowering plant known for its tubular purple-pink flower spikes.
Foxglove commonly refers to *Digitalis purpurea*, a tall, biennial or short-lived perennial flowering plant known for its tubular purple-pink flower spikes. It is native to western Europe and widely grown as an ornamental, but all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. In Canada, it is a common garden ornamental, and caution is advised around children and pets.
Description
Foxglove is a tall herbaceous plant with a basal rosette of leaves and a vertical spike of tubular flowers. The flowers are usually purple-pink, but white and other colour forms also occur.
Taxonomy and distribution
The common foxglove is *Digitalis purpurea*, in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae). It is native to western Europe and has been naturalized or cultivated in other temperate regions, including Morocco.
Habitat and cultivation
Foxglove grows in open woodland, hedgerows, moorland, woodland clearings, roadside verges, and disturbed ground. It is widely used in gardens for its ornamental flower spikes.
Toxicity and uses
The plant is poisonous, and ingestion can cause nausea, heart problems, and other serious effects. All parts of the plant contain toxic cardiac glycosides and can cause serious illness or death if eaten. In controlled medicinal preparations, foxglove-derived compounds such as digitalis have been used to treat heart conditions.
Key facts
- Foxglove usually refers to *Digitalis purpurea*, a tall flowering plant with tubular purple-pink flowers.
- Native to western Europe, it is now widely cultivated as an ornamental.
- All parts of the plant contain toxic cardiac glycosides and are poisonous if ingested.
- In controlled medical doses, foxglove-derived compounds have been used to treat heart conditions.
- It commonly grows in woodland edges, hedgerows, moorland, and disturbed ground.
Foxglove is widely grown in Canadian gardens as an ornamental plant, and Canadian readers should note that it is toxic if ingested and should be handled carefully around children and pets.
Frequently asked questions
What is foxglove?
Is foxglove poisonous?
Where does foxglove grow naturally?
When does foxglove flower?
Is foxglove used in medicine?
References
- Wisconsin Horticulture — https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/common-foxglove-digitalis-purpurea/Supports: Identifies common foxglove as *Digitalis purpurea*, a biennial or short-lived perennial from western Europe, and notes its ornamental use.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/plant/foxgloveSupports: States that foxglove is a genus of about 20 herbaceous species, native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands, and that the plants are toxic.
- NC State University Plant Toolbox — https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/digitalis-purpurea/Supports: Gives the scientific name, family, native range and life cycle details for *Digitalis purpurea*.
- Woodland Trust — https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/foxglove/Supports: Provides common name, scientific name, flowering season, habitat, and notes toxicity and medicinal compounds.
- The Wildlife Trusts — https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/foxgloveSupports: Describes habitat, flower form, seasonal appearance and toxicity of foxglove.
- University of Oxford — https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/cd/DigitalisSupports: Describes foxglove morphology, native range, ornamental use, toxicity and medicinal source of digitoxin.