Ghost Plant Monotropa
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Ghost Plant:
- Phonetic Spelling
- mah-no-TROH-puh
- Description
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Ghost Plant is a genus of four species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers in the blueberry family that are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Three species are found in North Carolina. This unusual plant has no chlorophyll. It obtains its nutrients by using mycorrhizal fungi to tap into the resources of trees, (i.e., it is mycoheterotrophic). Because these plants do not need any sunlight, they can live in very dark sites, such as the floor of deep forests.
The typical Ghost Plant consists of a cluster of unbranched erect stems,about 3 to 9 inches tall, small leaves, and a single white or multiple red flowers, depending on species. Bloom season last only 1 to 2 weeks and is highly variable, extending from late spring into the fall. After the blooming period, the entire plant becomes dark brown or black, and the flower becomes a seed capsule. The root system consists of a mat of brittle fleshy roots.
The two species on Monotropa commonly found in the United States are M. hypopitys, which produces red flowers in the fall, and M. uniflora, which produces a white flower on a more unpredictable schedule. Also, M. hypopitys produces multiple flowers per stem, unlike other species of Monotropa.
Growing a Ghost Plant is very difficult. Plants transplanted from the wild require abundant woodland humus and, because the plant is mycoheterotrphic, the appropriate fungi must be present.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Monotropa
- Family:
- Ericaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Has been used as a nervine in herbal medicine.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- SubArctic, North America, Central America, and Columbia.
- Distribution:
- Europe and Asia. United States from Maine to California and from Florida to Alaska. It is absent from Nevada.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Ovoid seed capsule about ½ inch long, 5-celled, containing numerous tiny seeds blown about by the wind after the capsule splits open.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 3/4 inch, nodding, erect, flower at end of a scaly stalk; 4-5 petals and 10 stamens. Narrowly bell-shaped. The petals are longer and more persistent than the sepals. Only M. hypopitys produces multiple flowers per stem.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Black
- Pink
- White
- Leaf Feel:
- Waxy
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are scale-like and small; like the stems, they are white, translucent, and hairless. They contain no chlorophyll and dry to a blackish color.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Pink
- White
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Stems range in height from 3 to 9 inches, terete, white or pink, translucent, fleshy, and hairless.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Design Feature:
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Heavy Shade
