Foxglove, also known as digitalis, is native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. The name derives from the Latin word for "finger". This plant is native to Europe, particularly the western regions, but has been widely cultivated and naturalized in other parts of the world.
The name may have been influenced by the plant's shape, resembling the fingers of a glove. The word "fox" might have been added later due to the plant's association with foxes in folklore. It may originally be "folksglove," meaning "glove of the fairies". Another theory insinuates that foxes wore the flowers on their paws to silence their movements as they stealthily hunted their prey. Sometimes it is also called "witch's glove", indicating the toxicity of the plant.
Foxglove blooms start to open at the bottom of the stalks and gradually move upward. Its spire-like clusters of tubular flowers vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, apricot and yellow. Once they have finished flowering they set seed and die.
Foxglove is toxic for both people and animals. All parts of the plant, including foxglove leaves, are considered poisonous. But it can be used to treat certain heart conditions. Foxglove produces millions of tiny seeds, so once the plants become established in a place, they typically reseed for many years. It is able to rapidly spread and totally exclude native flora. Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria and Tasmania.
