Orobanche uniflora
A leafless, non-photosynthetic holoparasite in the broomrape family native to North America that derives all nutrients from host roots and typically bears a single tubular flower on each slender stem.
Common Names
One-Flowered Broomrape
Summary
One-flowered broomrape is a non-photosynthetic parasitic herb in Orobanchaceae that lacks chlorophyll and relies on hosts for nutrients, with slender stems arising from an underground axis to 3–10 cm tall bearing a single flower on a stalk, the flowers white to pale purple with a yellow throat about 12–20 mm long, featuring a five-lobed calyx and a tubular bilabiate corolla, it grows in moist woods, thickets, and open places across much of North America and parasitizes a broad range of hosts including Sedum, Saxifraga, and several Asteraceae, as an obligate parasite with no chlorophyll cultivation depends on the presence of suitable hosts, seed germination is triggered by chemical cues from host roots sometimes requiring a bridging fungus, propagation is by seed, in its North American range habitats include moist woods and thickets with various elevations, pollination is by Bombus pensylvanicus and self-fertility can occur when cross-pollination is absent, and populations can be rare or regionally limited, underscoring conservation considerations
Lifecycle
Annual, Perennial
Height
3-10 inches
Spread
Unknown
Hardiness Zones
Coming soon
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun to Full Shade.
Soil Type
There is no single ideal soil type; it tolerates a variety of soils with a preference for moist to mesic conditions.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soils, wide pH range
Bloom Color
White to purple, often with lavender or violet tones
Bloom Time
Spring and Summer
Foliage Color
No foliage; leafless and lacks chlorophyll.
Fall Foliage Color
No fall foliage color
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Annual
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 633 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus
- Orobanche
Synonyms
Orobanche porphyrantha Orobanche sedii Thalesia sedii Anoplanthus uniflorus Anoplon biflorum Aphyllon inundatum Aphyllon minutum Aphyllon purpureum Aphyllon sedi Aphyllon uniflorum Gymnocaulis biflora Gymnocaulis uniflora Orobanche uniflora var. minuta Orobanche uniflora var. uniflora Orobanche uniflora var. sedi Orobanche terrae-novae Orobanche sedi Orobanche biflora Phelypaea biflora Thalesia sedi Orobanche uniflora f. sedi Orobanche uniflora f. inundata Orobanche uniflora f. nana Orobanche uniflora subsp. occidentalis Aphyllon uniflorum var. occidentale Orobanche uniflora var. purpurea Orobanche uniflora var. terrae-novae Orobanche uniflora var. typica Orobanche uniflora var. occidentalis Orobanche tuberosa f. inundata Thalesia uniflora Thalesia purpurea Thalesia minuta