Foxglove

Foxglove is a tall biennial or short-lived perennial plant native to Europe, recognizable by its towering spikes of tubular, speckled purple or white flowers that bloom in a single-sided row up the stem. Every part of the plant is highly toxic if ingested, containing compounds that affect the heart, yet those same compounds gave rise to digoxin, a medicine still used to treat certain heart conditions. Foxglove flowers are particularly attractive to bumblebees, which crawl deep into each tubular bloom to reach the nectar.