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You may have heard of Monotropa Uniflora, otherwise known as the ghost pipe, but did you know about other super intriguing parasitic plants? 🥰🤠 I hope this inspires you to go search for something new to appreciate in your forests today! Happy Tuesday! 🌻🌞 | Melissa Ketelsen

These plants don’t photosynthesize!! Ghost pipes (Monotropa uniflora), are ghostly white because they lack chlorophyll (the green pigment). These plants obtain all their carbon and nutrients by parasitizing on underground fungus. They tap into fungi that form mutual partnerships with plants, thereby indirectly siphoning nutrients from photosynthetic hosts. This is known as mycoheterotrophy! They emerge from the ground in clusters, with their translucent stems topped with single, nodding flowers.