Beautiful but poisonous (Foxglove - Flowers)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Foxglove - Flowers
Date:	24/10/08 (1136 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: elegant

Disadvantages: poisonous

Tidying up the garden I notice some foxglove plants. These plants are e at the back of my border.

The name although in my childhood I thought it meant foxes gloves really means folks gloves , fairy folk were said to use the foxglove bell shaped flower as a glove. The Latin name is digitalis the flower a finger like shape. A fox glove flower does fit on a finger well, just the like a thimble. Again as a child I would put my finger into a fox's glove.

I expect a lot of you will have heard of digitalis a drug for heart complaints, yes this drug comes from the foxglove. This means the foxglove is a poisonous plant all parts of the plant are toxic if eaten. So maybe not a good plant for a child friendly garden.
However fox gloves are easy to grow from seed, they self set everywhere. If you wish you can buy plants easily on or of line at a garden centre cost a few pounds for the plants about £1or £2 for the seeds.

Fox gloves are biennial or perennial plants. They are native to the Mediterranean region but grow well here. The first year of growth they will make a rosette of leaves then the second year the flower spike will grow flower and die some varieties will grow more flower spikes the following years.
Foxgloves are a tall flower growing up to 6 foot /1.8 metres tall depending on the variety. Flowers range from purples, pinks, creams, white and yellows.

Seed can be sown either in pots or straight in the garden. They self set well from seed falling from the plant in August. The foxglove grows well in most soils, but not an over damp soggy one. If in a windy position a foxglove will need staking. To stop it falling and breaking in the wind.
The foxglove needs very little looking after so is great for an easy garden.

The foxglove is an elegant plant a real cottage garden plant.
The common English foxglove D. Purpurea (Scrophulariaceae) growing to 4 - 5 ft. (120cm- 150cm) is a purple flower this is the foxglove we see growing wild in the hedgerows and banks during June and July.
The fox glove is attractive to bees seeking its nectar. I suppose now its autumn it's a time o reflect on the garden planning for next year, I know foxgloves will be amongst the flowers I will wish to grow .

Summary: A poisonous cottage garden plant