Foxgloves

 

The Foxglove Plant

Flowers or Fairy homes?

What are Foxgloves?

"Foxglove" is the common name for the Digitalis genus (AKA Digitalis purpurea). These plants grow throughout most of Europe and in some parts of North America. Foxgloves are well known as the original source of the heart medicine Digoxin (Digitalis)--a cardiac glycoside used to help with heart arrhythmias in small doses.

What's in the name?

It is said that the prefix "fox" has most likely come from the word "folks" over time. In the fourteenth century, people used to refer to fairies as "good folk", because to explicitly use the noun "fairy" would cause them to make mischief.

 Foxglove Myth:

In old times, the constituents of the Foxgloves were used as poison. Stories have it that fairies lived in the flowers and were the cause of the good or bad effect on whoever ingested the plant. Other legends go even further to explain why Foxgloves bend and sway so gracefully. It was believed that because the flower was sacred to the fairies, it actually had the power to recognize fairies, as well. So, any spiritual being that passed by would cause the plant to move towards them. Magic!

 

 They also believed that the white spots on the

 flowers were marks left by fairies!

Explain, please!

Unfortunately, fairies are not the explanation behind the Foxglove myth. The poisonous effect that the Foxgloves caused was actually due to the medicinal properties that the plant possesses. The leaves, flowers, and seeds of the plant are all poisonous to humans. Digitalis can be highly toxic in doses that are bigger than the therapeutic range. It can negatively affect the heart and can be deadly if not used properly. 

As far as the swaying of the plant towards magical-beings goes--this was most likely due to the wind. But it could also explained by the fact that the flowers are heliotrophic and they follow/favor the light, which would explain any other movement of the plant.

Works Cited:

  

“Digitalis Purpurea.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Feb. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitalis_purpurea. 

“Foxglove 'Excelsior Hybrid Mixed'Digitalis Purpurea.” Thompson & Morgan, www.thompson-morgan.com/p/foxglove-excelsior-hybrid-mixed/2843TM. 

“FOXGLOVE SEEDS.” Swallowtail Garden Seeds, www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/foxglove.html. 

Green, Theresa. “The Foxglove – of Fairytales, Myths & Medicine.” Everyday Nature Trails, 21 June 2012, theresagreen.me/2012/06/20/foxglove-fairytales-myths-medicine/. 

Muckle, Sheila. “Plant Foilklore: Myths, Magic, and Superstition.” Gardener's Path, 18 Jan. 2018, gardenerspath.com/plants/plant-folklore/. 

Sedgwick, Icy. “The Folklore of Flowers: Belladonna, Foxgloves & Angel's Trumpet.” Icy Sedgwick, 3 Feb. 2018, www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-of-flowers/.