Practical
Plants

Digitalis lutea

Yellow Foxglove

a perennial member of the Digitalis genus in the family Scrophulariaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All parts of the plant are poisonous[12][11]. The plant is less dangerous that the common foxglove (D. purpurea) since its effects are not cumulative[12].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Yellow foxglove is little used in herbal medicine but is in fact a less toxic alternative to the purple and woolly foxgloves (D. purpurea and D. lanata) which are widely used in the treatment of heart complaints[7]. The yellow foxglove has similar medical actions, but its alkaloids are more readily metabolized and flushed out of the body[7]. The leaves are cardiac, strongly diuretic, stimulant and tonic[12][13][8][10]. They are used in the treatment of a weakened or failing heart, increasing the strength of contraction, slowing and steadying the heart rate and lowering blood pressure by strongly stimulating the flow of urine - which reduces overall blood volume[7]. The leaves of plants in their second year of growth are harvested in the summer and dried for later use[12]. This remedy should be used with caution and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, excessive doses can prove fatal[12][7]. See also the notes above on toxicity.

Product or use
Cardiac
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Stimulant
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An infusion of the plant added to the water in the vase will prolong the life of cut flowers[9]. When grown near root crops the roots will store better[9].

Product or use
Preservative

Environment

Range
Europe.
Habitat
Woodlands, hedgerows and uncultivated fields on siliceous soils[12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow early spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil, especially if it is rich in organic matter[1]. It also succeeds in dry soils and, once established, is drought tolerant[3][4]. It prefers semi-shade but succeeds in full sun if the soil is moist[3][5]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[6]. The yellow foxglove is a good companion plant, stimulating the growth of nearby plants[9]. Root crops grown near to this plant will store better[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991-00-00

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  3. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

  4. Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982-00-00 ISBN 0460045512

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  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  6. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

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  7. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  9. Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-584-10141-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  10. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  11. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

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  12. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  13. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

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