Digitalis purpurea - garden and medicinal plant

Digitalis purpurea is also known under the same name - thimble grass, it has a rather high height and can grow from 50 to 150 cm. The plant received its name due to the shape of original flowers that really resemble a thimble. Digitalis purpurea is common in Europe, natural places where it can be found are forests, as well as shores of water bodies, and it is often found on stony soils. The plant tolerates very low temperatures very well, and is also drought-resistant.

Digitalis purpurea is a very good honeycomb, so you should be prepared for the fact that after the appearance of such a plant in the garden, it will attract many bees. In the first year of life, foxglove does not bloom, flowering begins already in the second year.

The flower of the digitalis represents a spicate brush, in which there are many flowers. The most common color of corolla is purple, it is for this plant that the name is foxglove purple. Flowers can be of different colors, but the most common are white, cream, carmine. If you spend a timely circumcision of flowers that have faded, they may well bloom again throughout the year.

Digitalis purpurea during cultivation does not create any problems, it is completely unpretentious and freely takes root in almost any soil. But to obtain a developed plant that will have large flowers, it is necessary to plant it on fertile soils and water it during the dry period.

If you decide to have this plant in your garden, then take the seeds and plant them right in the soil, this is done in April-May. As already mentioned, the digitalis purple has a two-year growth cycle, in the first year the developed root system is formed, and already in the second year it blooms. But there are sorts of this species that can blossom already in the first year of life. If favorable conditions are created for the plant, then it self-multiplies by seeds, and it is also possible to multiply digitalis with young shoots of root cane. Digitalis purpurea is a muse for gardeners, since it has the largest and especially bright flowers.

Digitalis is poisonous, but despite this, they are medicinal plants and are very effective in the treatment of edema and heart failure. As a medicinal raw material, the leaves of this plant are used. Stronger effects of drugs containing digitalis, have on men, as well as people of advanced age.

Since the amount of medicinal substances in the leaves of digitalis varies considerably depending on the conditions of its growth, the time when their harvest is made, the drying process, then for medical purposes it is grown separately.

Digitalis in its composition has a certain set of toxic substances that have a very good effect on such functions of the heart as stylet, distiola and stroke volume.

It is strictly forbidden to self-medicate preparations that contain digitalis, it should be carried out exclusively under the supervision of a qualified specialist. This is explained by the fact that the plant is poisonous and the excess of certain doses will allow the poisons to accumulate in the body, and they are withdrawn very long and slowly. Excess of these doses can cause very strong toxicosis and even cardiac arrest. In case of poisoning with these drugs, antidotes are potassium chloride, atropine and caffeine.

The raw materials of digitalis are harvested during flowering and a sunny day is needed for this. Drying is better in special drybags, where a constant temperature of about 60 ° C will maintain.

Contraindicated taking these drugs to people who have coronary insufficiency, compensated heart disease and acute myocardial infarction. Symptoms of foxglove poisoning are sleep disturbance, the appearance of pain in the heart and increased dyspnoea.