Pterospora andromedea, August 13, 2020
Common & scientific name
Woodland pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea
Family
Heath, Ericaceae
Location
Difficult Creek Trail, 10,000’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
This photo captures a Pinedrop after it has bloomed and begun to dry out—it may appear next spring, almost identically, if not felled by snow or wind during the winter. This wonderful woodland plant grows up to 2 feet high in our forests. It has no chlorophyll and thus cannot make its own food. It obtains the nutrients it needs through its mycorrhizal fungus that are parasitic on pines (in our area, Ponderosa or Lodgepole).