ONE of our most interesting native flowers is the foxglove. The normal colour is purple but in some areas white specimens occur.

Obviously the white specimens are genetically different but just why this is so is still something of a mystery.

All parts of the foxglove are poisonous because the plant contains digitalis which can be dangerous. However, the foxglove has been - carefully- used for many years in the treatment of heart disease but obviously this depends upon the right dose being used.

This is still the case today and in the 19th Century, Dr MacKenzie, a Burnley GP, did a lot of research on the use of foxglove.

The bell-like structure of the flowers is pollinated by bees. These insects crawl right into the flower and collect the pollen. This shows that not all living organisms are adversely affected by the poisons which affect the human species.