Gift of FAIRIES
In this article, Ace writes about the folklore and toxic properties of Foxglove, yet another plant that attacks the heart.
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Foxglove: Gift of Fairies
Foxglove: Gift of Fairies
By Ace Case
By Ace Case
Foxglove is arguably one of the more popular toxic flowers, up there with the likes of rhododendrons and lilies, which are also pretty wonderful flowers. However, not quite as many flowers have such a rich history in folklore and medicine, and not so many are commonly used in traditional medicine today.
Foxglove has over thirty names, including Fairy Bells, Lady’s Glove, Fairy Gloves or, as it’s known scientifically, Digitalis. Digitalis purpurea, common foxglove, grows up to 75, six and a half centimeter magenta flowers, (about two and a half inches.) The plant itself grows 40-150 cm, or 18-60 in. It grows and blooms between June and September and is native to Europe. There are a good few species and hybrids of the plant, but they all have a similar seeding time. Britannica writes “Most species are biennials, meaning that they flower during their second year and then die after seeding.” Some hybrids have drastically different colors compared to common foxglove, others are much bigger or smaller, and the number of flowers can greatly vary. Digitalis Alba is about the same size as purpurea but produces white flowers. Camelot Foxglove can grow lavender, rose, and white flowers, and the part that holds the flowers can grow up to four feet tall. Sometimes, the flowers are in a different orientation compared to the downturned ones of purpurea, like Candy Mountain or Excelsior hybrid foxgloves. Candy Mountain foxgloves have larger, upturned flowers. Excelsior hybrid foxglove grows pastel flowers in pink, yellow, or white and grows horizontal flowers. The last natural hybrid is Gloxinioides or the Shirley foxglove. They have about the same amount of flowers and grow to the same size as purpurea, but they grow salmon, cream, pink, or purple flowers. D. x mertonensis, or strawberry foxglove, was created in 1925. It is a hybrid of purpurea and grandiflora and grows large, coppery-pink flowers.
Foxglove has obviously been around a while, like all plants. So it should not be much of a surprise that they have a rich history and connection to folklore. The name itself is heavily connected to old folk tales, coming from the idea that the flowers are just the right size for foxes to wear on their feet, as gloves, to silently sneak into places. Some argue that the name Foxglove was a misinterpretation of Folksgleow, folk meaning fairy folk, and gleow, referring to a row or chime of little bells. Others say the first name was ‘folk’s glove,’ which is just gloves for little people. The small spots in the flower are thought to be the handprints of fairies, as in many stories, they’re said to love the flower and were the ones who gifted them to foxes. The earliest symbolism of foxglove was a representation of riddles, conundrums, and secrets. In Celtic folklore, they are magical and mysterious, and heavily connected to protection and healing. In Scotland, they seem to have a similarly positive impression, as they were often put into babies' cradles to keep them from being bewitched. RSPB, a nature charity in England, says, “Romans used foxgloves as a heart tonic, and in the Middle Ages, it was used to treat ulcers and also as a cough medicine.” The Romans also associated foxglove with midwifery and their goddess, Flora. In some mythologies, they are thought to grow in places loved by fairies, so picking them is bad luck because it robs them of a flower they love. Of course, not all the stories are great, like in North England, where they are considered to be an entrance for the devil if they grow around your home, or benign, associated with insincerity in the Victorian era.
Often, the only difference between a poison and a medicine is the dosage, and Foxglove is a perfect example of that. Foxglove contains Digitoxin in all parts of the plant, which, when used in medicine, is primarily taken from Digitalis Lanata, or yellow foxglove. Medicinally, it helps a weakened heart by causing more contractions and increasing blood flow. Self-medication could easily result in death, though-- even when you’re not trying to use foxglove. In 2010, there was an outbreak of nine patients with foxglove poisoning after mistaking the plant for comfrey while making tea. Initially, they all showed symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness before their symptoms started to change depending on the patient. Not only will directly consuming the plant get you poisoned, but it can also happen by just inhaling the pollen. Along with the four symptoms listed before, there is a long list of effects, which include but are not limited to: irregular or slow heartbeat, collapsing, low blood pressure, blurred vision, confusion, weakness, depression, yellow, green, or white halos around light sources, disorientation, hallucinations, lethargy, loss of appetite, stomach pain, and rashes or hives if your skin is exposed. Foxglove seems like a pretty good toxin to use for any possible assassinations (WHICH I DO NOT CONDONE), but the National Library of Medicine says, “Ten instances in real life of alleged homicide by digitalis and trials of the accused are listed.” So while there are only ten possible real-life cases, there are possibly countless fictional killings using foxglove and digitoxin.
Mystery, magic, gifts from fae, and a favorite to fairies, foxglove are an interesting flower. Though pretty, they can mess you up pretty badly. So as always, if you find a pretty flower, make sure sniffing it and inhaling the pollen won’t kill you, and do not eat random flowers.
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