Fairy Thimbles – Poisonous, but a Life Saver

Fairy Thimbles, a poisonous wildflower with life-saving characteristics.

These bright purple flowers — Foxglove —  are known locally as “Fairy Thimbles,” a biennial native of Ireland and found blooming all over the countryside from June to August.

Ironically, this plant is poisonous, but it’s also a life saver!  It contains digitoxin and digoxin, both substances used in heart medications. In some parts of Ireland, they were considered unlucky flowers, not to be brought indoors.