There’s just something about Foxgloves. They demand our attention, transforming a disturbed patch of roadside or a simple rock wall with striking, pink floral spikes. And how I treasure the sweet moment when you notice a fuzzy little bee trying to squeeze into their delicate tubular flowers.

Here, in its native Ireland, Foxglove is a widespread and abundant plant.  And like any immigrant, as I settle into my life in Ireland, I am trying to make connections and build relationships.

And as an immigrant herbalist, this means meeting the plants and learning their stories from the folks who have lived amongst them.

Foxglove is famous both as a great medicinal AND a great poison, and so it often features prominently in the old herbals and tales passed down through the generations.

Early mentions of Foxglove (aka Sticatos) in medievel Irish medical texts (such as Tadhg Ó Cuinn’s 1415 herbal) describe it as a diuretic to help with abdominal swellings. Those understandings evolve over the centuries and come the 1800’s, we can then read Dublin-based Dr. Stokes’ detailed case studies about the use of Foxglove (aka Digitalis) in cases of dropsy (congestive heart failure) to slow yet strengthen a weak and failing heart, aiding the body to expell accumulated fluids.

Browsing the National Folklore Collection (Dúchas.ie) for Foxglove (aka Lus Mór) we can discover many tales of cures and curiosities in their Schools’ Collection (Bailiúchán na Scol) that was gathered in the late 1930’s. Written in the sweetest and most careful cursive lettering, these stories helped to preserve generational knowledge, that having survived hundreds and even thousands of years, were suddenly vanishing as candlelight storytelling gave way to electrified mass-media culture.

In these writings, we meet Foxglove the heart medicine…

Foxglove the poison…

and Foxglove the fabulous fairy fashion accessory…

Quite a complex character, the Foxglove. But aren’t we all. 

We hope to see you round at some of our happenings this month, including the launch of our Certificate Track for the Herbal Foundations Course. You can find all the deets below. 

Herbally yours,
Lorna

P.S. You can view all this month’s happenings in our newsletter here.