This upstanding and stately herb is one of the tallest and most recognizable of British wild flowers. Chiefly a biennial woodland plant, it stands bolt upright producing flower-laden spikes (or raceme), which can consist up to 80 pinky-purple nodding tubular flowers. These “finger glove” shaped flowers have an area of white inside with dark purple spots and hairs, whilst the outside varies from a characteristic pinky-purple colour, which we all know and love, to red and even white! The greyish-green stem feels downy to the touch, and the green oval or lance-shaped leaves have a fleecy upper surface, which is downy underneath.
Overview
Our native foxgloves flourish in acidic soils and can be found in all sorts of habitats ranging from ancient woodland, scrubland clearings, heath land, coastal margins, Rocky Mountains and hedgerow embankments. Look out whilst travelling down any modern roadway and you may just see this lovely native species, standing tall and proud by the roadside, as they thrive on disturbance and will actively grow where the ground has been displaced.
In the garden
Digitalis comes in many different sizes, ranging from 3-6ft tall and you can usually find it growing in partially shady areas, which makes it perfect for woody wildlife gardens! Their drooping flowers first open in May low down the stem and new flowers appear further and further up the stem until late September, attracting many foraging insects. They spread by creeping stems and with the aid of the autumnal winds, scattering their seeds around the garden. Gardeners also believe that if you grow your foxgloves near to other plants, they stimulate growth in other species and encourage resistance to disease
Did you know?
Foxgloves are famed for their toxicity. The entire plant is poisonous, including the seeds and root system, even take one nibble from the upper stem of the leaf and you’re in serious trouble. It’s enough to cause an agonising death via cardiac arrest! Species dependent, our favourable looking foxglove may contain several deadly biochemical compounds that set to work once ingested – SO DON’T EAT IT! It may now come as a surprise if I tell you that a group of important cardiac medicines are derived from this noxious herb, but still in folklore the foxglove is a plant to beware of, hence the colloquial names of Dead Man’s Bells and Witches Fingers…you have been warned!