Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Santalaceae

Genus:

Arceuthobium

Species:

Arceuthobium rubrum

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Parasite

Height:

10 cm

Bloom Months:

aug,sep,oct

Bloom Colors:

red, yellow

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Notes:

As an obligate parasite on host trees, survival depends on host tree fire response; severe fires that kill spruce hosts eliminate the parasite population.

Propagation & Germination

Notes:

Seeds are explosively discharged and stick to host bark; germination occurs directly on living spruce branches where haustorium penetrates host tissue.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI