How Dangerous Are Foxglove Plants?
Foxglove is a type of plant from the Digitalis family with colorful, bell-shaped flowers. All Digitalis plants are sometimes referred to as foxgloves, the most recognizable of which is the common foxglove. Gardeners should be careful when including foxglove in their garden, however, because it is extremely dangerous to humans and animals. Does this Spark an idea?
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Description
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Foxgloves have white, purple, pink or light gray flowers, depending on the type, with flowers that are either solid in color or have spots. The foxglove itself may be a perennial stalk or a shrub, where the flowers protrude on a stalk in pairs, and there can be up to 10 bell-shaped flowers on an individual stalk. The foxglove's stalks grow up to 100 inches in height.
Toxicity
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All of the parts of the foxglove plant are dangerous, including the flowers, leaves, stems, seeds and roots. These plant components can be so toxic that the slightest ingestion, even through inhalation, can affect a person seriously. Ingestion can also be fatal, and the foxglove plant is toxic to all animals.
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Symptoms
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Foxglove toxins affect the heart, leading to an increased or decreased heartbeat, which can eventually lead to the heart stopping altogether. Foxglove can also lead to convulsions, vomiting and stomach pain. One of the most unique symptoms of ingesting foxglove is vivid hallucinations, as well as seeing auras that are blue, yellow or green in color around objects and lights. According to Medscape, foxglove was rumored to be the cause of the swirling yellow and green auras in many of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings.
Medical Uses
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Despite being very dangerous and poisonous, many heart medicines are made from the foxglove plant, including medicines used to treat abnormal heartbeats and heart failure. Medicines made from the Digitalis family, including foxglove, contain cardiac glycosides, an ingredient that stimulates the heart. It wasn't until the 1900s, though, that foxglove medicine was used to help people -- first to treat atrial fibrillation, and more recently as treatment for congestive heart failure.
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References
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