FOXGLOVE IS MEDICINE:

I had this very large leafy green plant growing in the garden....And because I am such a strange flower farmer and I never label anything...(maybe it is my love for surprises that makes me do this).

I waited all of probably 9 months with no flower emerging and no sign of anything happening.

But I knew to tear it out would be a shame.

And then one day I was watching a video of another flower farmer....and she held up a plant and said "This is foxglove" and then it hit me like a ton of bricks...this was the plant in my garden.

Then, like clockwork, before I knew it, it started shooting up blooms, and I love them.

The first three I kept back for my Mom and me to enjoy, and everyone who has gotten bouquets recently just absolutely loves them.

The neat thing is.....did you know they belong in a medicine?

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, Digitalis lanata) is a plant. It is the source of the modern drug, digoxin. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

The chemicals in foxglove can increase the strength of heart muscle contractions, change heart rate, and increase blood output. Chemicals taken from foxglove are used to make the prescription drug digoxin. Digitalis lanata is the major source of digoxin in the US.

People use foxglove for irregular heartbeat and heart failure. It is also used for many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

All parts of the foxglove plant are toxic. Any use requires monitoring by a medical professional.