Fairy Bells

The flower symbolism associated with the foxglove is stateliness and youth.

Foxglove flowers have both positive and negative symbolic meanings.They are said to sometimes hurt and sometimes heal. In the language of flowers, foxglove is associated with insincerity.

The common name is said to come from "folk's gloves," with "folk" referring to fairy folk. Another theory is that fox wore the gloves gloves so they would not be caught raiding a chicken coop. Rumor also has it that picking foxglove offends the fairy folk. Most likely, this tale was told to children to keep them away from the poisonous plant. Another possible origin of the name is due to its similarity to an ancient musical instrument, the fox's glew, due to the bell shape.

In medieval gardens dedicated to Mother Mary, foxglove was called "Our Lady's Gloves" or "gloves of the Virgin." The scientific name is digitalis, a reference to the presence of powerful chemicals that can heal heart conditions if taken correctly but can kill if taken in large amounts. The danger of these compounds is reflected in other names for the foxglove, including dead man's bells and witches gloves. The flower is fatal enough that children have died from drinking the water in a vase containing foxglove flowers.