Foxglove

毛地黃 · 毛地黄 · 毛地黃 · Digitale pourpre · Dedalera

Digitalis purpurea

Tall spikes of pink-purple thimbles with spotted insides. Bumblebees crawl right inside! Powerful heart medicine comes from this plant — but eating it is very dangerous.

⚠️ Poisonous — do not pick or taste this plant.

Height

150 cm

Blooms

Jun–Aug

Family

Plantain (Plantaginaceae)

Latin name

Digitalis purpurea

Where to find

Forest clearings
Acidic banks
Wicklow Mountains

Learn more on Wikipedia →

Where you can find Foxglove in Ireland

Killarney National Park — County Kerry: Ancient oak woods, rushing streams and big lakes. In April and May the woodland floor is carpeted with bluebells, wild garlic and wood anemones — pure magic!
Glenveagh National Park — County Donegal: Mountains, glens and one of Ireland's largest red deer herds. Heather paints the slopes purple in late summer, while bog cotton dances over the wet ground.
Wicklow Mountains National Park — County Wicklow: Ireland's largest national park, just south of Dublin. Heather-clad mountains, deep valleys with foxgloves and bog-loving sundews and butterworts.
Howth Head — Dublin: A rocky peninsula at the edge of Dublin city. Heather and gorse on the cliff tops, bluebells in the woods in spring, and great views of the sea below.

See all botanical hotspots in Ireland →