Fern Leaf False Foxglove

This is one of the False Foxgloves. It is easier to distinguish from the others because it grows in a more bushy form and its leaves are fern like. If you click on the photo you will see down one side of the photo a rather small and out of focus leaf that illustrates this. You will always find the False Foxglove growing near Oak trees because they are partially parasitic. They attach their roots to the roots of the Oak, and reap some benefit from the tree. I did not find any information going into detail about this. The word false, in the name of the flower does not reflect on its ability to be honest.... it is just to distinguish it from the cultivated Foxgloves which contain digitalis. It is listed on the endangered species list for New Hampshire on a N. H. government site, but when I looked on the Massachusetts endangered species list, which shows all the New England states,  it is listed Present in New Hampshire....... It is considered of special concern in the state of Maine. This is my 205th wild flower that I have identified. It is always exciting to find a new flower that I have not seen before. Of course the first year and even the second year of my searches I would always find new flowers.... but this third year is mostly finding flowers I have seen before. A new flower is the           " frosting on the cake " so to speak. Yahoo!

Where I found it : growing on the side of the road

P.S. If you click on the photo you will see the two orange stripes that travel down the inside of the flower. Many believe these are there to guide the insect visitors right to the nectar source .... sort of like a marked off landing strip.  When I was photographing these flowers ...I came in close with my camera and was surprised to see a very black center to the flower. It was actually a bumble sort of bee who went right down inside the flower and  then had to awkwardly back its big black bumble bee bum out of the flower. Very entertaining,