Ghost plant.

Auf einen Blick

Pflegestufe

Schwierig

Pflanzenart

Mycoheterotroph

Licht

Deep shade

Licht im Innenraum

Wenig Licht

Gießen

Alle 0 Tage

Endgröße

10 inches

Wachstum

Langsam

Winterhärte

USDA 3 bis 9

Blütezeit

Mid to late summer

Pflege

This plant is impossible to keep in cultivation because it requires a specific symbiotic relationship with underground fungi. Please leave it undisturbed in its natural habitat so it can thrive. If you see one, just enjoy the view and take a photo.

Gießen

This plant relies entirely on its natural environment for moisture.

Düngen

Do not fertilize this plant as it will kill the necessary fungal network.

Schneiden

Never prune this plant in the wild.

Umtopfen

This plant cannot be potted or moved.

Boden

Rich forest duff

Boden-pH

Acidic

Temperatur

-20 bis 25°C

Luftfeuchtigkeit

60 bis 90%

Trockenheitstoleranz

Gering

Lebensdauer

Perennial, but only visible above ground for a few weeks.

Wildverbiss-Resistenz

Hoch

Sicherheit

Menschen

The plant contains glycosides that can be toxic if consumed in quantity.

Kinder

Keep children away from this plant as it is not for consumption and grows in delicate woodland areas.

Kontaktallergene

There is no known contact dermatitis risk associated with this plant.

Allergene in der Luft

The plant does not produce significant airborne pollen.

Essbarkeit

This plant is not considered edible and may cause stomach distress if ingested.

So erkennst du die Pflanze

• Translucent white waxy stems
• Single nodding flower head
• Lacks green leaves entirely
• Scale like leaves on stem

Höhe

0,05 bis 0,2m

Breite

0,05 bis 0,1m

Blätter

white, translucent, deciduous

Blüten

white, pinkish, 1 bis 2cm

Früchte

brown, Autumn

Häufige Probleme

• Habitat loss — The plant requires a very specific fungal network to survive.

Standort und Pflege

Vermehrung

seed

Pflanzzeit

spring

Überwinterung

The plant survives as an underground root system and fungal connection, requiring no special care.

Im Kübel

This plant cannot be grown in containers because it requires a specific, established forest soil ecosystem.

Leave the forest floor undisturbed to protect the delicate fungal networks this plant requires.

Gute Pflanzpartner

• Eastern hemlock — It often grows in the deep shade provided by these trees.
• American beech — The leaf litter and fungal networks under these trees support its growth.

Ähnliche Arten

• Monotropa hypopitys — It is a related plant that is usually yellow or reddish rather than white.

Botanisches

Familie

Ericaceae

Gattung

Monotropa

Ordnung

Ericales

Klasse

Magnoliopsida

Ursprüngliche Heimat

Temperate regions of North America, Asia, and northern South America.

Artenschutz

It is not endangered but is extremely difficult to cultivate outside its native habitat.

It survives by parasitizing the fungi that are already connected to the roots of nearby trees.

Nutzen für Wildtiere

nectar source

Bestäuber

Bienen, bumblebees

Verwendung

botanical curiosity, woodland garden specimen

Taxonomie abgeglichen mit GBIF.

Häufige Fragen

Can I grow this in my garden?

It is nearly impossible to transplant because it relies on a complex underground fungal relationship.

Why is it white?

It does not need sunlight for energy, so it does not produce green chlorophyll.

Woher der Name kommt

The name Monotropa means one turn, referring to the nodding flower, and uniflora means one flowered. The common name ghost pipe comes from its ghostly white, pipe shaped appearance.

Gut zu wissen

• It lacks chlorophyll entirely.
• It is often called ghost pipe because of its pale appearance.
• It can grow in total darkness under a thick forest canopy.
• The flower nods downward until it is pollinated, then it stands upright.

Auch in

• Pflanzen für den Schatten
• Pflanzen, die Rehe meiden