Flower for the Day Foxglove beard-tongue 6-14-22

Foxglove beard-tongue (Penstemon digitalis) is in the plantain family. It grows three to five feet tall with shiny green opposite leaves on slender purple stems.

The two lipped flowers have tiny hairs on the tongue. The bees  disappear into the partially opened globe

leaving only their rear end showing, back out quickly, and head for the next globe. That pollen is magnetic.

Praise common

names
the call to mark to glorify
to lead memory down its garden path
bellflower and flowering spurge and fake boneset
tickseed and foxglove beardtongue
lovegrass tidy tips pussytoes
bedstraw hairy woodmint
greenthreads
heal all
that clasping cornflower
common arrowhead
that nodding onion
that bishop's cap and bloodroot
those lady's tresses
Dutchman's breeches
those mad dog skullcaps
those doll's eyes jack in the pulpit
bird's foot
deerhorn
that farewell to spring

  Jeff Shiff