Possessing outstanding and attractive beauty, Foxglove flowers can kill people in the blink of an eye with high toxicity.
Foxglove, also known as foxglove, scientific name is Digitalis purpurea, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family. The flowers bloom in clusters and have a very prominent pink-purple color.
In winter, Foxglove plants grow large, hairy, and remain green. In the summer, the tree grows taller and flowers, bell-shaped clusters of purple-pink flowers, with small dots inside each flower.
Possessing impressive beauty, this flower’s toxicity is extremely high. According to research, all parts of the plant are toxic (including the seeds and roots).
The Foxglove tree is found to contain cardiac glycosides, of which the most dangerous is a cardiac glycoside called digoxin. The scientific name digitalis of this plant is also named after the strongest toxin it possesses.
When poisoned by Foxglove, the victim has symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, drooling, abnormal heart rhythm, arrhythmia, weakness, collapse, dilated pupils, tremors, convulsions and even death.
Because of its strong toxicity, this scary plant is also known as the death bell or witch’s glove.
Even when dried, Foxglove’s toxicity is not reduced. It is worth mentioning that herbivores cannot eliminate the poison of this plant.
Even though it is so toxic, if used properly, Foxglove can save many people with heart disease. The active ingredients in this strange plant are used to increase heart contractions, control heart rate, and control atrial fibrillation in patients with reduced systolic function.
Foxglove thrives in acidic soils and is often found in areas where the ground has been disturbed such as recently logged forests or where vegetation has been burned.
Foxglove originates from Western and Southwestern Europe, Western and Central Asia, Australia, and Northwestern Africa but is now bred in many different countries due to its irresistible beauty.