#aureolaria

Appalachian summer.

photographed along Auxier Ridge, RRG

In the same lucky spot as the dittany, another interesting plant, yellow false foxglove, Aureolaria, partially parasitic on the roots of oak trees.Is this smooth or fern-leaved yellow false foxglove? I’m guessing fern-leaved, but I could be wrong, and it even seemed as if two kinds were growing along there. The bees love these!

Smooth false foxglove (Aureolaria levigata), also known as entireleaf yellow false foxglove, is a semi-parasitic, late summer perennial that derives most of its nutritional requirements from the oak tree roots to which it attaches, resulting in its other common name: Appalachian oak-leech. This clump-forming member of the figwort family also derives part of its nutritional needs from photosynthesis, like other green plants. Although Aureolaria’s tubular yellow flowers are somewhat reminiscent of those of foxglove (Digitalis), the two plants are not closely related. The flowers attract a variety of bees, beetles, and butterflies. The photos above were taken at Coopers Rock State Forest.

Aureolaria flava - Smooth Yellow False Foxglove, an oak leach

It’s partially parasitic on oak roots, and the bees love it. This is the other plant I was looking for yesterday. I was pleased to see a big patch of it!

More plants / By family

Smooth False Foxglove, Aureolaria flava (by me)