Practical
Plants

Digitalis purpurea

Foxglove

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Height
1.2 m
Spread
0.6 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 highly poisonous[24][2][10][22][23][14].

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.

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[18]. At the same time it stimulates the flow of urine which lowers the volume of the blood and lessens the load on the heart[18]. 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[18]. The leaves are cardiac, diuretic, stimulant and tonic[19][24][13][20][6]. 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[19]. Harvested at other times, there is less of the medically active alkaloid present[19]. The seed has also been used in the past[19]. 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[19]. Great care should be exercised in the use of this plant, the therapeutic dose is very close to the lethal dose[14]. See also the notes above on toxicity. A homeopathic remedy is made from the leaves[24]. It is used in the treatment of cardiac disorders[24].

Product or use
Cardiac
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Homeopathy
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 prolongs the life of cut flowers[21]. Root crops growing near this plant store better[21]. An apple-green dye is obtained from the flowers[4].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Preservative

Environment

Range
Western Europe, including Britain, from Norway to Spain and Sardinia.
Habitat
Acid soils in woods, heaths, mountain grasslands etc[24][5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

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[7]. 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.

Cultivation

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

Easily grown in ordinary garden soil, especially if it is rich in organic matter[1]. Prefers a light dry soil in semi-shade[5] but succeeds in full sun if the soil is moist[12]. Grows well in acid soils[5]. Plants are hardy to about -25°c[9]. The foxglove is a very ornamental plant that is easily naturalized in the semi-shade of a woodland[1]. It contains glycosides and forms the basis of an important heart medicine for which it is cultivated commercially[19]. This species is commonly used by herbalists, whereas D. lanata is more commonly grown for supplying the pharmaceutical industry[16]. The plant contains much greater concentrations of the medically active ingredients when it is grown in a sunny position[3]. The flowers are very attractive to bees[19][17]. Individual plants can produce up to 2 million seeds[19]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[15]. A good companion plant, it stimulates the growth of nearby plants, growing well with pine trees[8][11][21].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Altmann. H. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8

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  3. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  4. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩

  8. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  9. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩

  10. Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-600-35666-3

    ↩

  11. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩

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

    ↩

  13. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩

  14. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  16. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  17. Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  19. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

  23. Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984-00-00 ISBN 0112425291

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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