Hound's tongue produces flat barbed seedlings. Many fur-coated animals, such as rabbits, help spread these burrs. People's clothing also serves this purpose well. Hound's tongue is poisonous and was used in earlier days for healing infections. Due to its toxicity, the plant and as well as the seeds are not grazed by animals. However, that doesn't keep away various moths and trunk beetles. Hound's tongue grows in sunny, light areas and loose, calcium-rich soil. In the Netherlands, it is limited to the dunes in North and South Holland.