Foxgloves: Beautiful, Deadly, and Misunderstood

🌿 Foxgloves: Beautiful, Deadly, and Misunderstood 🌿

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Lately, I've noticed more people planting foxgloves in their gardens—drawn to their wild beauty and fairy-tale charm. It’s part of a growing movement to "rewild" spaces and reconnect with nature. I love that idea, in theory. But I also feel it's important to pause and reflect: what do we really know about the plants we’re inviting into our lives?

My mom always told me foxgloves were toxic. And she was right.
All parts of the plant are poisonous—especially to kids and pets.
They contain digitalis, a potent chemical used in heart medicine under strict supervision. A few leaves—or even touching your mouth after handling them—can cause serious harm.

What surprised me recently was how casually some folks dismiss the danger. “We played with them as kids!” someone told me. “They’re natural!”
Sure, but so are poisonous mushrooms. Nature isn’t always safe.

And here's something else we need to clear up:
Foxglove isn’t native to British Columbia.
It came from Europe. It is not part of local Indigenous medicine traditions—despite the growing myth that all “wild” or “old-fashioned” plants must be sacred or traditional. Indigenous communities here have their own deep knowledge systems, rooted in native plants, careful stewardship, and thousands of years of relationship with the land.

There are many truly native and non-toxic plants that support pollinators and are safe for families. Echinacea, yarrow, bee balm, salal, camas, lavender—just to name a few.

So this isn’t about judging anyone’s garden. It’s just a gentle reminder:
🌸 Beauty doesn’t mean safety.
🌱 “Natural” doesn’t always mean native.
🌎 Respect for the land means taking time to learn what belongs where.

Let’s grow with intention. Let’s learn from the plants and from each other.

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#FoxgloveFacts #NativeGardens #ToxicPlants #ZipolitaWrites #NatureWithCare #IndigenousPlantWisdom #ThinkBeforeYouPlant

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