Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), a beautiful but highly toxic plant

 

The plant in the photo is a foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), a beautiful but highly toxic plant.

 DANGERS

All parts of the foxglove plant—leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds—are extremely poisonous. It contains cardiac glycosides (e.g., digitoxin, digoxin), which affect the heart muscle and can lead to arrhythmias, bradycardia, or cardiac arrest if taken inappropriately.

Ingestion can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hallucinations, seizures, and even fatal heart irregularities.

It is dangerous to children and pets, particularly dogs and cats. 

While skin absorption is unlikely to cause toxicity, touching the plant and then touching your mouth or eyes can pose a risk. Always wear gloves when handling foxglove and wash hands thoroughly afterward.

 

BENEFITS (in Controlled Medical Use)

Traditionally used in herbal medicine, though this practice is now strongly discouraged without medical supervision due to the high risk of overdose. 

The cardiac glycosides in foxglove, especially digoxin, have been used (in controlled doses) to treat heart failure and atrial fibrillation for over a century. Modern versions of these drugs are synthetically produced and carefully dosed to avoid toxicity. 

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