British Flowers week Day 3 - The Foxglove20 June 2018Today we’re going to talk about the Foxglove, the first Native flower to Britian of the week! We’ve had some absolutely beautiful British grown Foxgloves this season in some stunning shades of pinks, purples and creams. Here are some fun Foxglove facts! As delicious as they look they’re not for eating. Every part of the Foxglove is highly poisonous and can be fatal to humans if eaten. Animals know they are poisonous and stay away from them Foxglove is biennial plant, which means that it completes its life cycle in two years Digoxigenin is a type of steroid obtained from the foxglove that has application in medicine. It is used in molecular biology for detection of DNA and RNA molecules Foxglove can be also used in treatment of bruises, ulcers, sore throat and as diuretic Modern medicine still uses these compounds in treatment of congestive heart failure. Leaves and seed of foxglove are major source of digitoxin and digoxin that are used for the manufacture of digitalis - commercially available medicine Name "foxglove" refers to the shape of flowers. They look like gloves for fingers that perfectly fit the paws of foxes and other small animals Foxglove produces around 2 million seed in a lifetime In folk medicine, foxglove was first used in Ireland. Its use spread to Scotland, England, and then to central Europe. It was taken to treat abscesses, boils, headaches, paralysis, and stomach ulcers. It was also applied to the body to help wounds heal and to cure ulcers. It has not been proven to be an effective treatment for any of these ailments. Foxglove blooms from June to September. Colorful flowers filled with nectar attract bumblebees, main pollinators of this species Foxgloves are a beautiful British flower that add height to any garden or flower arrangement. Their flowers attract Bees and insects and they flower for a good few months meaning they can be enjoyed for all of Summer. They are the must have plant for any British cottage garden. We’ll have a limited amount of Foxgloves in stock this week so get them while you can!