Toothed Owl's-Clover
Orthocarpus cuspidatus
- Native to:
- United States
Ken DeCamp
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus:
- Orthocarpus
- Species:
- Orthocarpus cuspidatus
- USDA Symbol:
- ORCU
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Parasite
- Height:
- 40 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, yellow, white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Associated with fire-maintained grassland and meadow habitats; benefits from periodic disturbance that reduces competition.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- often found in open, rocky areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Hemiparasitic annual; germinates best with host plant roots nearby. Seeds require cold stratification and may show erratic germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI