Foxgloves

A popular purple delight,
Whose blooms are occasionally white,
The foxglove can kill
Or, at least, make you ill,
Yet disease digitalis may fight.

poem © Celia Warren 2011
first published in the Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form.

Foxgloves are poisonous, and yet they are the source of medication, which is often prescribed by doctors, to treat certain heart conditions. The common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is usually purple, and popular with bees, too.