Foxglove Poisonous

I am completely new to gardening and I've started planting mostly in individual pots and some planters on my deck in Brooklyn. I have some flowers, herbs, and vegetables. I'm learning a lot, but still don't know much. I've just learned that the beautiful Foxglove flowering perennial that I bought about a month ago is highly poisonous and I'm so sad! I was reading horror stories about it and I'm a little freaked out. I have been picking up the flowers that fall off with my bare hands and have not had a reaction (I read quite a few horror stories about people's reactions to the plant) but I've been putting the fallen petals in our compost bin. Also, I have a small dog that sniffs around on the deck and I wouldn't want anything to happen to her. So, I need some advice PLEASE!! My questions: Is my compost bin now poisoned? If I've touched the flowers and then picked herbs from my garden, are those now contaminated? Should I keep the plant, being that I have a small dog that might sniff (but probably won't eat) the fallen leaves or flowers? If I should not keep the plant, should I try and give it away? I feel sort of like this plant might be a burden that I am not really ready to deal with being such a beginner if I have to be super careful with it. Any help is greatly appreciated!! Thanks.

I believe its only dangerous if ingested.Lots of plants are poisonous if eaten.Even common houseplants.There are threads on poisonious plants on D.G.,if you do a search.Herbs and compost should be fine.I don't have children or pets.I enjoy growing plants that will kill you.Hey Mr.Groundhog nibble on this.Edge

If you really get down and study plants a majority will be poisonous in one way or another.( They have to protect themslves someway.) I've grown foxgloves for years as well as other so called poisonous plants. My family nor any pets have ever been poisoned.
4 0:Clock seed are poisonous. I played with and made necklaces out of them when i was small. I was told not to eat them and i did'nt.
Hope this helps
Vickie

We always had these in our garden when I was growing up. We had a dog and a cat and we played outside. No-one ever decided to eat it... I think animals can usually tell these things. We never had any problems. And they're are among my favourite flowers because they remind me of my papa who always did our garden :)

I went through the same worries about foxgloves for, yes, one whole year before I finally bit the bullet and introduced them in my menagerie :). Like you, I have pets and now we have our nephew in the house. I googled and bing-ed and read all i can about these wonderfully attractive perennials until my eyes watered ^_^. I wasn't gonna give up so I didn't.

When I decided last week to purchase these plants, I had a talk with everybody in the house. The DON'Ts and the what to do ANYTIME you touch any plant: WASH YOUR HANDS. I told them that they are TOXIC so don't even think about touching them. As for the dogs, we have them in the backyard. I planted the digitalis/foxgloves out front and out of reach from the sidewalk and will be surrounded by thorny rose bushes.

Try to isolate your foxgloves from your pet, maybe put it in a spot where your doggie can't get to it. Most of the time dogs are pretty smart that they know what not to eat (i have tons of lilies and toxic plants in the backyard that our dogs don't even bother to sniff).

If you do decide to get foxgloves, please familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of digitalis poisoning and remember to tell EMTs/Doctors that you have foxgloves IF it comes to it (hopefully not!).

Thank you all so much for the advice. I think I got scared because one of the first sites I came across was a blog site that said you shouldn't even touch foxgloves (which I have already). Everyone on the site was sharing stories about their (allergic?) reactions to touching the leaves/flowers. Since then I've been reading a lot more. The consensus seems to be that it's toxic if eaten and you can compost pretty much anything because once it breaks down it's different "materially" anyway. Most people said that they only thing they wouldn't compost is poison ivy/oak because of the oil and it is particularly nasty if it gets on your skin. Anyone have anything to add?

Anyway, at least I know now that I need to be careful with my foxglove, but I want to keep it because I fell in love with the beautiful flowers. I am not too concerned about my dog eating the flowers or leaves (she's fairly picky about what she will eat) but I do have one more question - when the foxglove goes to seed, how much seed are we talking about - ie, are there going to be seeds all around it if it's windy (it's in a large raised pot at the moment), should I expect that it will drop a lot of seeds around the pot? Since it's on my deck and not in the ground, when the seeds fall, I suppose they'll either be in the pot or on the ground, so I just want to be prepared. My pup does curiously sniff around a lot and I wouldn't want her to come into contact with the seeds by accident, since they are supposed to be poisonous too.

Thanks again!!

When I saw your original question I quickly googled for more information, since I've had foxgloves for years and was aware that they are poisonous, but have never worried about simply touching them or whatever... There definitely are some horror stories out there, so I understand why you are concerned! As others have said, individuals can react in very different ways to many types of plants. I believe the main concern is ingesting the plant because it can cause problems with your heart rhythm (digitalis is a drug that's used to control heart rate).

As far as the seeds -- they are extremely tiny, dust almost; and yes, they do sow very freely, at least the kind I have. If that seems like a concern for you, simply keep them dead-headed so they can't produce seed.

They're such a beautiful flower -- and so many other wonderful plants have various poisonous qualities as well -- it would really be a shame if everyone decided not to grow them!

;-)

I agree, Weedwhacker. Thanks for the advice! :)

Just wanted to add that Foxglove's botanical (or should I say Latin???) name is Digitalis. Sound familiar? It should for some of us and that's because the heart medicine Digitalis comes from the Foxglove plant. That is how and why it is poisonous. It has medicinal properties...so, it's not really poisonous per se, Digitalis the medicine isn't poison either. You just need to be aware of what you are growing and if and how it could possibly do harm to you and your family (puppers included!).

Washing our hands after handling *any* plant should be a normal part of all of our routines (mine included). Who knows where the next great, wonder drug will come from? Maybe African Violets? lol But seriously, there are lots of ickies that we just don't think about on our plants and in/on the soil that just don't need to be hanging out on our hands...and that's got nothing to do with poison.

As for reactions to plants...anyone can be allergic and have a reaction to darn near anything. I'm allergic to some anti-histamines. Go figure. Don't ask me, the docs can't figure it out either and just quit trying to. How can the thing that's supposed to stop an allergic reaction actually cause one???? Whatever. The point is, **stop reading about everyone else's horror stories!!** Otherwise you'll be afraid to grow anything! If you come across something YOU are allergic to then give it to your neighbor, they will thank you! :-)

Poison plants come in all shapes and sizes. Plants that are poisonous to you and your puppers. From now on just assume that everything has an underlying danger and you'll be safe. Seriously...because most things do. For instance, if your dog eats a leaf off of a tomato plant s/he's in big trouble, they are poisonous to dogs. That shouldn't stop you from growing tomatoes in containers though! Get creative and find a way around things...when your Foxglove starts to go to seed go and get some seed bags...do a google search and you'll find some...or make your own...or just go to wal-mart and get some hosiery laundry bags and rubber band them over the seed pods before they break open. Problem solved.

Since your dog is small then start using your horizontal space to your advantage...you can get more plants in a small space that way anyway, lol!! get some cheap tables or plant pot holders at the dollar store and put your pots on them...tallest ones in back, shorter and shorter in front (think of the pictures in school we used take with the front row of kids kneeling) the first row of pots goes on the floor. It'll look spectacular and you'll fit in a LOT more plants and puppers can't reach what s/he shouldn't! Also, I let my dog sniff my stuff when it's new (cuz they just HAVE to, it's not fair otherwise) then it's off limits. I make sure he has lots of toys and bones, etc outside...even his own spot with a water bowl, blankie and shade so he can help me work.

You'll do well. We all go thru that first scare of "OMG!! This could kill me??!!" then we realize "Hey, they really do make medicine from plants! Cool, I'm growing this stuff! Awesome...hey, look what I got!" Some folks grow stuff and make their own teas...Echinacea (Coneflowers), Feverfew, etc. Start reading the Latin names of plants along with the common names and you'll be amazed!

Well said, heathrjoy

Just for interest... in the middle ages people used to think tomatoes were poisonous because they used to have lead in the plates and tomatoes leached out the lead and the people got lead poisoning...

heathrjoy, maybe you are allergic to another ingredient in the antihistamines, they use talc/ titanium dioxide and lots of other stuff as fillers for tablets, but I agree with cando1, well said! They do say "one man's meat is another man's poison".

very good point gmun, I will look into that. Thank you very much for point that out!

Well said, indeed, heathrjoy! Thanks for the input!!