Highly toxic
Effect:
tonic, heart strengthening, diuretic, stimulating
Areas of application:
Heart failure, heart problems, dropsy
See note below!!!
Parts of the plant used:
Leaves
Collection time:
Autumn
Can be found:
In forests, bushes, ruderal sites or as a garden plant.
Ingredients:
70 bitter, cardiac glycosides
Other:
The woolly foxglove is a biennial to perennial herbaceous plant that reaches heights of up to 90 cm. It bears elongated lanceolate leaves on its long blue-purple stalks. The stomata are anomocytic, there are no outer hairs, glandular hairs are very rare (if present, then a single-cell stalk and a single- or two-cell head, epidermal cells are thickened in knots). The inflorescence contains many small white to cream-yellow flowers with brown veins. The bracts of the inflorescence are woolly hairy, hence the name of this plant species. (Wikipedia)
🛑 All parts of the plant are poisonous! It is not safe enough for self-medication. Monitoring by a qualified doctor to determine the correct dose is strongly recommended, as excessive use can cause nausea, vomiting, slow pulse, visual disturbances, loss of appetite and fainting. In the event of an overdose, give activated charcoal immediately and call an ambulance. It can be fatal, especially for children.
It is cultivated worldwide as a medicinal plant for the industrial production of cardiac digitalis glycosides, which chemically belong to the cardenolide glycosides. The active ingredient extracted from the dried leaves is used as a raw material for medicines for the treatment of heart failure. An optimal active ingredient content is achieved in the autumn of the first year of cultivation. In Germany there is only one company that grows woolly foxglove on a large scale.
The plant contains 70 cardiac glycosides (including digoxin, digitoxin and lanatosides). Digitoxin strengthens the heartbeat rapidly but is eliminated very slowly. Digoxin is therefore preferred as a long-term medication.
Digitalis lanata (woolly foxglove) has three times the physiological effect of Digitalis purpurea (red foxglove) and is preferred today due to its rapid onset of action.