Foxglove | Kit Perriman

Did you know:

The Foxglove plant has been called Bloody Fingers, Dead Men’s Bells, Witches’ Gloves, and Fairy Glove because of its toxicity.
It is part of the Digitalis family.
Its attractive flowers have tubular bell-like petals that hang from a long stem. They blossom in a variety of colors – most often purple, pink, red, white, and yellow – and many have speckled throats.

Foxgloves like acidic soil, and because different varieties favor sun or shade they thrive in a range of places from woodlands, moorlands, hedgerows, mountain slopes, and sea cliffs.
Since the Eighteenth Century a medicine extracted from the Foxglove plant has been used to treat irregular heart conditions. A modern derivative called Digoxin is still used by cardiologists today.
The entire species is poisonous. They cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, altered vision, abnormal heart rates, weakness, seizures, and death.
All parts of the plant are toxic to humans, a range of other mammals, and poultry. Drying does not affect the potency. Symptoms last 1-3 days but recovery is likely with medical intervention.
Vincent Van Gogh’s “Yellow Period” may have resulted from taking a Foxglove medication that was given to control seizures!

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(Photo: Public Domain)