Are Foxgloves Poisonous to Touch and Why You Should Be Careful

Do you love to grow foxgloves in your garden but are confused because you have heard that they are poisonous? Are foxgloves poisonous to touch? If the answer is yes, why are foxgloves so popular for use in bouquets and vases?

It is all-important to find the answer of are foxgloves poisonous to touch, so you can decide whether you are going to plant them in your garden or not.

As discussed above, foxgloves are famous for decorating the house and beautifying the bouquets even though it is known as a poisonous plant. It is the beauty and symmetry of the plant that makes it a favorite of all.

 They symbolize self-worth, ambition, relationship, self-confidence, productivity, and originality. That’s why people want to include them as a part of the bouquet to celebrate some occasion to express their feelings. 

The foxgloves are available in 32 variations. Its stem has tiny hair, which makes it wooly, and the height varies from four to five feet. It is available in many color variations: purplish, whitish, pinkish, and creamy shades. The color variations, the style and symmetry of the flowers, and long bristles; all make it an excellent choice for decoration purposes.

Besides all this, foxgloves are under objection to being poisonous, so let’s discuss and find the truth.

Are Foxgloves Poisonous to Touch?

The answer may scare you because it is, yes!!!!!!!! 

 But, it’s not what you need to be panic about because foxgloves are as much poisonous as many other common garden plants are. 

Elephant Ear, Aloe Vera, Poison Ivy, Ficus, Dumb Cane, Daffodil, and many others are on this list. 

So, the good news is that you can plant it in your garden. All you need to do is to be careful when interacting with the plant so you can enjoy its beauty in your garden. Therefore, it’s necessary to know about the poisonous effects of the foxgloves and how to prevent them.

Poisonous Effects of the Foxgloves

Foxgloves can cause severe problems only when you eat them, especially when the seeds are about to ripe. They can cause nausea, skin irritation, headache, diarrhea, and sensory retardations. It can kill you by consuming 5gm of dried plant or two grams when the leaves are still fresh.

So far, the question, are foxgloves poisonous to touch, is concerned, they are poisonous indeed, and they can cause several health issues, but they don’t cause any danger to life.

All parts of the plant: the pollen, the seeds, the flowers, the berries, and leaves are toxic, no matter fresh or dried. When on the interaction, they can cause severe allergic reactions. Following are the toxins in the foxglove plant that causes these allergic reactions.

· Deslanoside

· Digitalis glycoside

· Digitoxin

Most Common Allergic Reactions Caused by Foxgloves are:

Hives and Rashes on the Skin 

The most common reaction is hives that immediately appear on the body when getting in touch with the plant, which leads to severe rashes on the skin.

Sore Throat

If you have inhaled near the plant, you can get a sore throat following the rashes. But this happens when you have inhaled deeply and have got some toxins inside with the breath. 

Hemoptysis

Hemoptysis is a disease when the patient spits out the blood because of some infection in the lungs or cancer. If you have inhaled toxins of foxgloves, they may lead to infection, and as a result, you may have to face hemoptysis, which happens when the condition is severe.

Pneumonia

If you don’t treat hemoptysis immediately, it can lead you to lung issues and convert into pneumonia. 

But all this severe condition is more likely to happen if you are allergic to foxgloves; otherwise, it ends in hives and rashes only. 

Until now, we have discussed all the issues that you have to face if you get in touch with foxgloves during our search for; are foxgloves poisonous to touch.

 Now it is time to proceed towards precautions that you can take to give away such harms if you can’t resist growing foxgloves in your garden.

Preventive Measures to Cope With the Toxic Effects of Foxgloves

The preventive measures are essential in case of the presence of children and pets; otherwise, all you need to do is avoid the direct touching of the plant. And if, for some reason, you have to touch the plant, wash your hands immediately to save yourself from the toxicity.

In the case of the presence of children and pets, you can do several things to keep them away from its reach.

Don’t grow the foxgloves near pavements because there is more chance for the children or pets to touch or swallow a part of the plant.

· You can surround the plant with some net or thorny bushes to reduce the chance of direct touching.

· Remind your family members time and again to stay away from the plant because it’s poisonous.

· If you are affected by foxgloves toxicity and have rashes or sore throat, do some home remedy to instantly heal the symptom to reduce the risk of getting an infection. For example, you can drink lukewarm water by mixing honey to heal the sore throat so; the toxins don’t go to the lungs to worsen the situation.

· Consult a doctor and ask for some medicine: to prevent the outcomes of toxic effects of foxgloves before something happen to you.

By doing all this, you can reduce the risk of poisonous effects of foxgloves.

Which medicines can you use to reduce the toxicity caused by foxgloves?

There are different medications for different symptoms of toxicity. If you have rashes, you can take antihistamines because it is the histamine that causes the rashes on the skin.

For more severe problems, you can take antibodies to reduce the effects. If you see the signs indicate something serious, it is a suggestion to visit the doctor as soon as possible to avoid any fatal happenings.

Is it helpful to wear a mask and gloves when there is a need to get closer to the plant?

Wearing a mask and gloves is essential when you need to examine the plant closely because you can get toxicity even through your breath. If you want to save yourself from allergic reactions to foxgloves, always wear a mask before going near the plant. 

Gloves can also save you from toxic effects if you need to touch the plant, so make sure to wear gloves before touching the plant.

Which pets are more likely in danger of foxgloves toxicity?

Foxgloves are not only poisonous to humans but also animals. No matter which pet it is, they will harm it, and therefore, you have to be careful about them if you have or planning to grow the foxgloves in your garden.

Foxgloves usually cause nausea and, at times vomiting, to the animals. They can even lose their life if they have eaten some part of the plant. But it is rare because the animals usually do not like to eat foxgloves because of their nasty smell.

The only animal that can resist eating foxgloves is the deer. Though the deer is not fond of eating foxgloves, it may eat being hungry but doesn’t get affected by its toxins.

The Bottom Line

All I have to say in the end is that nothing is more important than the safety of yourself and your family members, and nothing is more beautiful than the life and health of your near and dear ones, so be cautious about selecting the foxgloves for your garden. 

If anybody around you is allergic to foxgloves, it can ruin their health. In that case, I would like you to not search for, are foxgloves poisonous to touch. Leave the idea of planting foxgloves; instead, go for some other beautiful plant and enjoy your good health.