Comfrey
Study firstBoth can have coarse hairy leaves; flowers and stem attachment differ. Neither is a pantry herb here.
Toxic · do not eat
Foxglove.
Digitalis purpurea
Also found as Common foxglove
A poisonous biennial often first seen as a low rosette, before its conspicuous flower spike develops.
Sources checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Toxic. Keep out of food and tea.
Poison help Cardiac glycosides can cause serious, potentially fatal poisoning. Seek urgent advice after ingestion.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 68,781
- People who recorded it
- 34,924
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- May–Jul
- Records span
- 1963–2026
| January | 780 |
|---|---|
| February | 1011 |
| March | 1731 |
| April | 4781 |
| May | 11300 |
| June | 22355 |
| July | 12748 |
| August | 4417 |
| September | 1862 |
| October | 1454 |
| November | 912 |
| December | 757 |
| January | 717 |
|---|---|
| February | 348 |
| March | 232 |
| April | 589 |
| May | 214 |
| June | 95 |
| July | 97 |
| August | 126 |
| September | 166 |
| October | 327 |
| November | 827 |
| December | 935 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Coarse, wrinkled, hairy leaves in a first-year rosette.
- 02
Alternate smaller leaves on the later flowering stem.
- 03
Tall spikes of hanging tubular flowers, often internally spotted.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Western European origin; widely grown and naturalized elsewhere.
Watch the plant stage
The leaf-only rosette is dangerous as well as the flowering plant.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Observe. Leave intact.
Do not eat, brew or use in home remedies.
Care for the patch
Leave intact and keep separate from all food gathering.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- NC State Extension · Digitalis purpureaBotanical description, range and documented use
Checked 9 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction