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Western Dwarf Mistletoe
Scientific Name:
Arceuthobium campylopodum
Type:
Parasitic Plant
Habitat:
Primarily ponderosa and Jeffrey pines along with other pines in the western North American mountains
Range:
Western North America
Status:
No listed status
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Western dwarf mistletoes are plants that parasitize several species of pine including ponderosa pines, Jeffrey pines, and Coulter pines. It occurs in low to mid elevations in conifer forests. Most of the plant's structure lies beneath the bark, while the exposed structure produces the seeds. The seeds are matured and dispersed in the fall. The shoots of western dwarf mistletoes are olive-green to brown in color.
Fast Facts:
The presence of western dwarf mistletoes can be observed through the existence of "witches' brooms" in the plants' host trees. Witches' brooms are dense clusters of small twigs growing out of the branch of a tree. Witches' brooms can be caused by parasitic plants or disease.
Western dwarf mistletoes flower between August and October and disperse their seeds between September and November.
The seeds of western dwarf mistletoes can travel over 40 feet from the parent plant. Only a small fraction of the seeds end up surviving, however; most seeds are destroyed by fungi or insects, or are washed away by rain.
Sources:
U.S. Forest Service, Mistletoes, 2021, https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/resources/health/field-guide/mistletoes/dwarf.shtml
U.S. Forest Service, Dwarf Mistletoes of Ponderosa Pines, 2003, https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev2_043648.pdf
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Witches'-broom, 2021, https://www.britannica.com/science/witches-broom
Contributor(s):
Brianna Raggio (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)