Purple Witchweed
Striga hermonthica
- Native to:
- Angola, Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen
United States Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service,Aneth David (SLU),Ethan Bass,Yuliya Krasylenko,USDA APHIS PPQ - Oxford, North Carolina , USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org,USDA APHIS PPQ - Oxford, North Carolina , USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org,Aneth David (SLU),Aneth David (SLU),Yuliya Krasylenko,Yuliya Krasylenko,Dark Cam04,Dark Cam04
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus:
- Striga
- Species:
- Striga hermonthica
- USDA Symbol:
- STHE8
Growth Characteristics
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, purple, red
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Seeds survive fire in soil seed bank; populations often increase in fire-prone agricultural systems.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, nutrient-poor, well-drained soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 7.5 (acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- parasitic plant often found in low-fertility soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm stratification required — 14–21 days
- Germination Time:
- 3–14 days
- Notes:
- Obligate root parasite requiring host-derived strigolactone chemical signals to trigger germination. Seeds remain viable in soil for over 10 years.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI