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Common Name: Yellow Foxglove

General Information

Digitalis lutea is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant are poisonous[, ]. The plant is less dangerous that the common foxglove (D. purpurea) since its effects are not cumulative[].

Botanical References

Range

Europe.

Habitat

Woodlands, hedgerows and uncultivated fields on siliceous soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil, especially if it is rich in organic matter[]. It also succeeds in dry soils and, once established, is drought tolerant[, ]. It prefers semi-shade but succeeds in full sun if the soil is moist[, ].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[].
The yellow foxglove is a good companion plant, stimulating the growth of nearby plants[]. Root crops grown near to this plant will store better[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Yellow foxglove is little used in herbal medicine but is in fact a less toxic alternative to the purple and woolly foxgloves (D. purpurea and D. lanata) which are widely used in the treatment of heart complaints[]. The yellow foxglove has similar medical actions, but its alkaloids are more readily metabolized and flushed out of the body[].
The leaves are cardiac, strongly diuretic, stimulant and tonic[, , , ]. They are used in the treatment of a weakened or failing heart, increasing the strength of contraction, slowing and steadying the heart rate and lowering blood pressure by strongly stimulating the flow of urine - which reduces overall blood volume[]. The leaves of plants in their second year of growth are harvested in the summer and dried for later use[]. This remedy should be used with caution and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, excessive doses can prove fatal[, ]. See also the notes above on toxicity.

Other Uses

An infusion of the plant added to the water in the vase will prolong the life of cut flowers[]. When grown near root crops the roots will store better[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow early spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.