Foxglove, Purple foxglove, Common Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea

Family: Scrophulariaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Pink, Purple, White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late spring, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.

Digitalis purpurea is a BIENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 1.2

Where it is found

Acid soils in woods, heaths, mountain grasslands etc.

Western Europe, including Britain, from Norway to Spain and Sardinia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Asia, Brazil, Chile, China, most of temperate Europe, Mediterranean, North America, South America, Spain, Uruguay, UK.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 4

The foxglove is a widely used herbal medicine with a recognised stimulatory effect upon the heart. It is also used in allopathic medicine in the treatment of heart complaints. It has a profound tonic effect upon a diseased heart, enabling the heart to beat more slowly, powerfully and regularly without requiring more oxygen. At the same time it stimulates the flow of urine which lowers the volume of the blood and lessens the load on the heart. The plant contains cardiac glycosides (including digoxin, digitoxin and lanatosides). Digitoxin rapidly strengthens the heartbeat but is excreted very slowly. Digoxin is therefore preferred as a long-term medication. The leaves are cardiac, diuretic, stimulant and tonic. The leaves should only be harvested from plants in their second year of growth, picked when the flowering spike has grown and about two thirds of the flowers have opened. Harvested at other times, there is less of the medically active alkaloid present. The seed has also been used in the past. The leaves also have a very beneficial effect on the kidneys, they are strongly diuretic and are used with benefit in the treatment of dropsy. Great care should be exercised in the use of this plant, the therapeutic dose is very close to the lethal dose. See also the notes above on toxicity. A homeopathic remedy is made from the leaves. It is used in the treatment of cardiac disorders.

Cardiac: Used in the treatment of heart problems.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Homeopathy: A plant used in homeopathic treatments.

Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Other

Rating: 2

An infusion of the plant prolongs the life of cut flowers. Root crops growing near this plant store better. An apple-green dye is obtained from the flowers. Cut flower. Cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Preservative: For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Massing, Specimen, Woodland garden. Easily grown in ordinary garden soil, especially if it is rich in organic matter. Prefers a light dry soil in semi-shade but succeeds in full sun if the soil is moist. Grows well in acid soils. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. The foxglove is a very ornamental plant that is easily naturalized in the semi-shade of a woodland. It contains glycosides and forms the basis of an important heart medicine for which it is cultivated commercially. This species is commonly used by herbalists, whereas D. lanata is more commonly grown for supplying the pharmaceutical industry. The plant contains much greater concentrations of the medically active ingredients when it is grown in a sunny position. The flowers are very attractive to bees. Individual plants can produce up to 2 million seeds. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits. A good companion plant, it stimulates the growth of nearby plants, growing well with pine trees. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Naturalizing, All or parts of this plant are poisonous, Suitable for cut flowers. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fibrous dividing into a large number of fine roots .

Propagating it: Seed - surface sow early spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown outdoors in situ in the spring or autumn.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Habit: Biennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

All parts of the plant are highly poisonous. Unsafe for self-medication. Monitoring by a physician to determine correct dose recommended. For overdose give activated charcoal. Can be fatal especially to children .

This plant can be weedy or invasive. Aggressive - Foxgloves self-seeds prolifically.

Its other names

Local names

Foxglove, common foxglove, purple foxglove, lady's glove, Dedalera, Chupera.

Synonyms

Digitalis alba. Digitalis campbelliana. Digitalis purpureolutea. Digitalis speciosa.