Foxgloves, Digitalis purpurea, grow in the wild on steep banks, or at the edges of paths or heaths, in acid soil. The plant has a long history in folk medicine, and its active components, digitoxin and digoxin, are still used today, as a conventional treatment for heart conditions. Its German name, Fingerhut, suggests the way generations of children have used the thimble-shaped, bright-pink flowers in their play.