Asiatic Witchweed
Striga asiatica
- Native to:
- Aldabra, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Mozambique Channel Is., Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Réunion, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, United States, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Florida Division of Plant Industry Archive, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus:
- Striga
- Species:
- Striga asiatica
- USDA Symbol:
- STAS2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 30 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- red, yellow, orange, pink
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Can resprout after fire. Fire may temporarily reduce populations but seeds persist in soil seed bank.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- parasitic plant often found in disturbed soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 3–14 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require chemical signals (strigolactones) from host plant roots to germinate. Seeds remain viable in soil for over 15 years.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI