It’s digi season! What’s digi season you ask? Well, here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the time of year when Digitalis-also known as Foxglove, is in it’s ultimate blooming season!
It grows prolifically here in the forest and alongside the roads. There is nothing better than a hillside ablaze with the stuff! It makes me somewhat giddy! 😁 I look forward every summer to the blooming season. Foxgloves have compounds that are used in heart medicines. This goes back to 1700’s! I asked ChatGPT about Foxgloves/Digitalis. Here’s what it had to say:
Digitalis, commonly called foxglove, is a striking flowering plant known for its tall spikes of tubular, bell-shaped flowers. Most species are native to Europe, western Asia, and northwestern Africa, but they are widely grown in gardens around the world.
Appearance
- Grows from about 2 to 6 feet tall, depending on the species.
- Produces tall flower stalks covered with dangling blossoms.
- Flowers are often purple, pink, white, yellow, or cream-colored.
- Many flowers have spotted throats that help attract pollinators.
Growing Conditions
Foxgloves generally prefer:
- Partial shade to full sun (depending on climate)
- Moist, well-drained soil
- Cool to moderate temperatures
They often self-seed readily, so once established, they may reappear year after year.
Wildlife Value
Foxglove flowers are especially attractive to:
- Bumblebees
- Honeybees
- Hummingbirds (occasionally)
The tubular shape of the flowers is well suited to long-tongued pollinators.
Life Cycle
Many foxgloves are biennials:
- Year 1: Produce a low rosette of leaves.
- Year 2: Send up a tall flowering spike, set seed, and then die.
Some species are short-lived perennials and may bloom for several years.
Toxicity
All parts of the plant are considered poisonous to people, pets, and livestock if eaten. For that reason, it’s best planted where children and animals are unlikely to chew on it.
In the Pacific Northwest
Foxglove grows very well in western Washington’s cool, moist climate. In some areas it has naturalized along roadsides, forest edges, and clearings, where its tall purple flower spikes are a familiar sight in late spring and summer.
ChatGPT goes on to say this about it’s properties:
For centuries, it has been used in medicine to treat certain heart conditions.
Digitalis helps the heart:
- Beat more strongly (increases the force of contraction)
- Slow certain rapid heart rhythms
- Pump blood more effectively in some cases of heart failure
The most commonly used digitalis medication today is Digoxin.
Important safety information
Foxglove plants and digitalis compounds are highly poisonous if taken incorrectly. All parts of the plant contain cardiac glycosides that can affect the heart.
Symptoms of digitalis poisoning may include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Blurred vision or seeing yellow/green halos around lights
- Slow, fast, or irregular heartbeat
Severe poisoning can be life-threatening.
Where it grows
Foxglove is often grown as an ornamental garden flower because of its tall spikes of bell-shaped blossoms. It is common in parts of Europe and is widely cultivated in North America.
Historical note
The medical use of digitalis was popularized in the late 1700s by William Withering, who studied foxglove as a treatment for dropsy (fluid retention caused by heart disease).
Despite all of the warnings, I find myself wanting to gather it up in my arms and just hold it gazing at the loveliness of the flowers! My prize specimen this year is my queen and her court. I asked @silvertop to stand by her so you could see just how tall she is!
Pretty amazing!
Most Digi bloom during May and June here, although I have found some late bloomers in years past as late as August heading into September.
On my trip up the mountain to visit Linda today, I wish I could have gotten a shot of the many hillsides I passed just laden with them! It was almost unbelievable! Unfortunately, driving made it impossible and there’s no place to pull over as it’s a curvy mountain road.
That’s gonna be it for today.
Take care and enjoy the rest of your day wherever you are! 🙏🌏🙏
👣🐑☕️☔️🌞😎😁👍😍🌙🥱😴
BSB 1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
🙏🌹
This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io
