Out in the Garden

The Ghost plants of Western Oregon

On summer days in woods west of the Cascades, eerie white figures with nodding heads can sometimes be seen in deeply shaded areas. They are ghost plants (Monotropa uniflora), an uncommon but widespread plant whose native range includes coniferous forests in our region. Varying from white to pink, these plants completely lack chlorophyll, meaning that they do not get nutrients from photosynthesis. Instead, M. uniflora obtains nutrients by acting as a parasite on fungi, which in turn depend on the sugars passed along through tree roots in exchange for other resources. This particular arrangement allows M. uniflora to thrive in deep shade.

The plants start turning black once they have been pollinated, and as summer progresses, the nodding flowers turn into dry seed capsules that point directly upwards. Given the delicate connections that M. uniflora needs to survive, I do not try to plant it and instead look forward to seeing where it pops up. Bare areas on the Garden's woodland hillside under the shade of shrubs and trees are promising places to focus an attentive eye starting in mid to late June.

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