Flower Friday 16 :: FF16 :: Foxglove

Growing from a crack in the drive in front of my workshop/garage. 

My degree in garden design tells me it is a Digitalis (possibly purpurea Alba), a Foxglove by any other name, which are:

Latin: Digitalis = digitus (finger) after the German name (see below)
English: foxglove
German: fingerhut (thimble)
French: gantelée (little glove)
Scotland: Teviotdale (witches’ thimbles)
Wales: maneg ellyllon (fairies’ glove)

The origins of the name have been much discussed. Digitalis was given to the plant by Leonhard Fuchs (Fox in German) in 1542. Even the pioneer of photography William Henry Fox Talbot had his views and popularised the name foxglove. 


Please feel free to add another name if you have a different one to share.