Common Name: foxglove
Scientific Name: Digitalis purpurea
Code: DIPU
Group: Dicot
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Duration: Biennial

CAUTION: Extremely poisonous.
Do not eat.

What does it look like?

Foxglove is a remarkable biennial plant that is prized for striking beauty and medicinal value as a heart stimulant. It is easy to spot, especially when in bloom, with its stalks of bell-shaped flowers (BLM 2003). The flowers range from 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long and are crimson outside above, and paler beneath. The lower lip has ong hairs inside and is marked with numerous dark crimson spots, each surrounded with a white border. The color of the flowers varies in shades of purple with the corollas being perfectly white in some cases.

The normal life of foxglove is two seasons, but sometimes the roots can sprout new growth and flowers for several seasons. In the first year, it sends up a rosette but no stem. In the second year, one or more flowering stems grow three to four feet, bearing numerous drooping flowers. The flowers begin blooming in early summer and peak in July, though the time of flowering differs according to the locality. The leaves are often a foot or more long, contracted at the base with slightly indented margins and sloping lateral veins. The flowering stems give off a few leaves that gradually diminish in size, growing smaller towards the top of the stem (Grieve 2004).

Where does it grow?

Native to Europe, the Mediterranean and northwest Africa, Foxglove now grows throughout the United States, except southern Florida and the Gulf Coast. It is extensive along the coast of California, from Santa Barbara northward and was established in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties by 1940 (CAL-IPC, 2004).

Foxglove grows in full sun to part shade at elevations less than 3000 feet. This species can be found along roadsides, in pastures, open woodlands, streamsides, and other disturbed areas, but cannot survive in high humidity (CAL-IPC, 2004).

Is it in our watershed?

Foxglove grows throughout the Mattole watershed, though no large-scale infestations have been observed and it seems to have more or less naturalized. Therefore, Foxglove is not a major concern in the Mattole watershed at this time.

Why is it a problem?

Foxglove was initially prized as an attractive landscaping species, where it has since escaped the boundaries of the garden. Now it grows in the wild where it is often so dense that it crowds out native species. This species is also lethal when ingested, even in small amounts.

How do you get rid of it?

Manual Removal: It is not necessary to use to tools to remove this species. You can easily pull it up by hand. Remove entire plant, BEFORE, it goes to seed, usually during the winter, to prevent plants from producing seeds in the summer. It is easier to remove the stalks and root masses plants in the spring when soils are moist, but be sure to remove the plants from the site and destroy them. Otherwise the plants will continue to mature and release thousands of seeds. Monitor removal sites for 5 to 10 years, and continue control efforts for at least 5 years (Bossard, 2000).

Author:
Unity Peterson, Invasive Plant Program Coordinator, Mattole Restoration Council, Petrolia, CA.

Photographs:
Unity Peterson

References:
BLM 2000. Noxious Weeds of the Arcata Field Office. Bureau of Land Management. http://www.ca.blm.gov//arcata/arcweeds.html

Bossard, CC., J.M. Randall and M. Hoshovsky. (eds.) 2000. Invasive Plants of California’s Wildlands. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. Online version: http://groups.ucanr.org/ceppc/Invasive_Plants_of_California's_Wildlands/

CAL-IPC, 2004. California Invasive Plant Council. http://www.cal-ipc.org/

Grieve, Mrs. M. 2000. Botanical.com: A Modern Herbal. http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/f/foxglo30.html.