The Common Foxglove - the Bells of Our Garden

The Bells of Our Garden -- The Common Foxglove

When we first saw it in our garden in the spring of 2010, it looked like a low-lying, gray-green cabbage plant growing next to our front porch. It had no stems and no blossoms. We had never seen anything like it before; at the time, we wondered: is it a flower or a weed? Should we dig it up and get rid of it, or leave it alone? In the end, we decided to let it grow for one more year, in the hopes it would be a biennial.

One year later, what began as a rather nondescript, ugly-looking weed turned into a magnificent and breath-taking floral spectacular, displaying on its multiple tall stems thick clusters of brilliantly pink, bell-shaped blossoms. Thecommon foxglove now adorns our wildflower garden in all its early summer glory!

About the Common Foxglove

The common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea; also known as the purple foxglove or lady's glove) is a large flowering biennial plant belonging to the Plantaginaceae (plantain) family of Angiosperms (flowering plants that produce seeds.) The common or purple foxglove is noted for its spectacular clusters of brilliant, bell-shaped blossoms ranging in color from white to lavender.

The common foxglove originated in Europe and has spread to North America, where it grows in most northern tier states of the United States and in the provinces of Canada. It thrives best in acidic soil and partial sunlight.

As with all biennials, the common foxglove has a two-year life cycle. During its first year, it grows tightly wound, rosette-like leaves that resemble cabbages, and a stem with no blossoms. The following year, it shoots out long, sturdy stems that can reach to a height of 5 feet (152.4 cm) or more. During May, June, and July of the second year, those long and sturdy stems are spectacularly adorned with thick clusters of elongated pink or purple blossoms. The blossoms are normally about three inches long and are noted for the array of dark purple dots on their corolla (petals). After the blossoms fall from the stem in mid-summer, seed pods develop. These pods eventually split open and release tiny seeds into the environment. These seeds can be harvested and cultivated.

When in bloom, the common foxglove is a favorite gathering place for hummingbirds and bumblebees, who spend their time darting in and out of the bell-shaped blossoms getting their fill of the flowers' nectar.

Benefits and Dangers of the Common Foxglove

The common foxglove plant is both beneficial and harmful to humans and other animals. An early form of digitalis, a drug used to treat heart failure, has been extracted from the digitalis purpurea plant since the late eighteenth century. Today, a more highly refined group of medicines (digitalins, including digitoxin and digoxin) continue to be extracted from many of the 20 varieties of the digitalis plant for use in the treatment of human heart conditions.

Although it is a plant of breath-taking beauty that provides medicinal benefits, digitalis purpurea is highly toxic to humans and animals. If ingested, all parts of the foxglove plant -- roots, stems, leaves, blossoms, and seeds -- can cause a variety of serious and potentially fatal symptoms including hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, convulsions, and irregular heartbeat. For that reason, extreme care should be used around foxglove plants growing in gardens, especially where young children and pets are present.

Despite its dangers, the common (or purple) foxglove is a truly magnificent and beautiful addition to our garden!

The Bells of Our Garden (A Tanka Poem)

There in the sunshine
Adorning tall, stately stems
Brilliant pink blossoms.
A giant foxglove displays
Floral bells in our garden!

For more information on the common foxglove (digitalis purpurea), please visit:

Digitalis - Wikipedia article

Digitalis Purpurea - Wikipedia articles

Foxglove Plant Profile- Suite 101 article


Plant Care Guides: Foxglove - National Gardening Association article

Plants Profile: Purple Foxglove- U.S. Department of Agriculture Invasive Plants list

To view a slideshow of the common foxglove, please click here .