Orange Hawkweed

Pilosella aurantiaca is better known as orange hawkweed. It goes by at least two other names, too:  devil's paintbrush and fox-and-cubs. Its orange colour probably accounts for the ‘devil’ aspect, and the larger flower alongside the smaller buds is the likely origin of the fox reference. Interestingly, false prophets are called foxes in Ezekiel’s prophecy, perhaps on account of the harm they can do:

Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. 13:3-5, Authorised Version

I think foxes are rather beautiful, and their cubs rather cute, especially when one sees footage of them playing under a vixen’s benign gaze. This does not make such good viewing for the local hen community however, whose numbers the little fox family are likely to predate. False prophets, like foxes, breed and multiply. Each generation seems to suffer from a fresh batch of spiritual delinquents and false teachers. And that pretty, little orange flower: where was it growing, pray answer? Why, in the grounds of our little chapel atop Newby Hill. We, too, must guard our pulpit, and our hearts.