Side by side
Compare plates
Lay two plants next to each other — uses, risks, and whether either has a grow guide.
LegalDeadly
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
The spotted thimble that became digoxin — a poison-garden teaching plant, not a homegrown heart tonic.
Flavor
Do not taste. Bitter cardiac glycosides.
Symptoms
palpitations, poor circulation
In favor
Teaches why some garden plants became drugs
Against
Fatal arrhythmia at garden doses
Days to harvest
Bloom in year 2 (~400 days) as an ornamental — never as a drug
LegalGentle
Hollyhock
Alcea rosea
The tall spire against a wall — a biennial or short-lived perennial that makes a cottage look settled in one season of waiting.
Flavor
Mild mallow, if you use a clean petal. Not a reason to grow it.
In favor
Instant age on a new wall
Days to harvest
Flowers the second summer from seed