If the glove fits …

My mother had a green thumb and plants flourished under her care. I wish I could say I inherited this thumb, but I did not. Every spring she would arrive at our house with trays of flowers she picked up at the local nursery. I listened and tried to learn as much as I could from her but sadly, I am not the best gardener in the world. In fact, I rarely remember the names of the flowers and plants in my garden. To this day, I choose plants based on two things … are they native plants and are they “cute.”

My friend Linda and I came up with the idea of a plant swap about 15 years ago. The idea was having gardeners bring extras from their garden to swap and go home with something they did not have. Even gardeners who didn’t have anything to share were welcome to come talk about plants and gardening and take home some plants for their garden. It’s rare that I ask Linda something and she does not know the answer when it comes to plants, gardening and soil.

So last year at the plant swap I showed Linda a picture of a mystery plant that just appeared out of nowhere. I would have remembered planting this unique plant. My guess was it must have come from the plant swap the year before. One plant produces around 2 million seeds in a lifetime, so the chances of seeds ending up in one of the containers from another garden is easy to understand. Linda took one look and said “It’s Digitalis purpurea … otherwise known as foxglove.” I knew she would know!

In nature, wild foxgloves are found in the summer rainfall areas of South Africa, especially in grasslands. They are often seen growing in disturbed areas like roadsides, where they germinate, flower and disperse their seeds before the onset of the dry winter frost. Wild foxgloves are opportunistic, and some may even call them weeds. They are found all over the United States because they are sold anywhere you can find plants. While not native, I did allow it to stay in the garden because it is such a beautiful plant.

Foxglove blooms during early summer in a showy fashion, sending a tall column of bell-shaped flowers in various shades of shell pink, rose, cream and white, with contrasting freckles lining the inside of the flower. Colorful flowers filled with nectar attract bumblebees, the main pollinators of this species.

This beautiful plant is a lifesaving plant. It is the source of digitalis, which is a drug used to treat heart disease. Although used in medicine, the flowers, leaves and seeds are very dangerous and should never be eaten. Consumption of even the smallest piece of foxglove may end up fatal for humans. Wild animals are aware of toxins hidden inside this plant and they avoid it.

The name “foxglove” refers to the shape of flowers. They look like gloves that would perfectly fit the paws of foxes and other small animals. Another old European legend says that fairies gave foxglove as a gift to a fox so he could muffle his footsteps.

Personally, I think they look like hats faeries might wear. I’d better keep my camera close by in case I see either!

Jeannie Carl is a naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center. The center is located at 151 E. White Bear Drive in Summit Hill. Call 570-645-8597 for information.