Yesterday, we headed back to Cooke county. It had been two weeks since I saw the False Foxglove starting to bloom. I was sure it would be going full steam!
And sure enough False Foxglove (Aureolaria grandiflora) was going great!
Side view with another bud close by.
Here is overview of this lanky plant. It is hemiparasitic plant which means it gets its water and nutrients from the roots of white oak species.
Many a pollinator will visit the flower. We saw several bumblebees while we were there.
Some the blossoms have already fallen.
Four in a row!
This one is almost open for business!
Another pollinator!
In this example, the bud has had a bit of damage. Sorta looks like a winking smiley face you think?
In this view notice the white egg casing. It might be a Green Lacewing’s (Chrysopidae) empty case.
We looked carefully for anything that could have been eating the leaves, but we did not locate any.
Lastly, here on the left is the flower that has dropped to the ground. The one on the right is one that was fresh yesterday. Shirley always loved to tell about the unusual color change of these flowers when pressed. Pretty cool!
So tomorrow I will continue on with yesterday’s Cooke county outing!
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.
7 Comments
It is such an unusual plant. Since it requires white oak roots to live on I assume that means you can’t grow this from seed in a pot, right?
I agree it looked like a winking smiley face! My first thought before I got to your caption was that you would make a comment about a face.
Have I told you we have a different species of bumblebee down here? Sonoran BB, Bombus sonorus. Hadn’t seen many this year but now they are showing up. They have been pollinating our cantaloupe flowers.
Tonight on our windows, hunting bugs, are 1 young Cope’s Gray Treefrog and 3 Praying Mantis, I think Carolina. Amazing how they can walk on glass and how fast their spring loaded arms grab their prey. Hard to go to bed with all that fun to watch.
Maybe you could just planted the seed next to the oak? Very cool about your bumblebees. I don’t think I have seen B. sonorus before. You are lucky to have great windows to get in on the action!
It is such an unusual plant. Since it requires white oak roots to live on I assume that means you can’t grow this from seed in a pot, right?
I agree it looked like a winking smiley face! My first thought before I got to your caption was that you would make a comment about a face.
Have I told you we have a different species of bumblebee down here? Sonoran BB, Bombus sonorus. Hadn’t seen many this year but now they are showing up. They have been pollinating our cantaloupe flowers.
Tonight on our windows, hunting bugs, are 1 young Cope’s Gray Treefrog and 3 Praying Mantis, I think Carolina. Amazing how they can walk on glass and how fast their spring loaded arms grab their prey. Hard to go to bed with all that fun to watch.
Maybe you could just planted the seed next to the oak? Very cool about your bumblebees. I don’t think I have seen B. sonorus before. You are lucky to have great windows to get in on the action!
I’m glad the Aureolaria is having a good year! Thanks for your report.
You are welcome! Happy to share…
It is interesting how it loses the yellow color pressed. Wonder why relative to other yellow flowers.
Ah, a plant on my to-see list! Might have to make a trek to the grasslands one day!
Definitely you should!