In the hills here in the summer as you are walking along the deep shady woodlands you may run across a strange and unusual white plant growing in the fertile soil.
Monotropa uniflora, Indian Pipe, Ghost Plant or Corpse Plant is a herbaceous perennial. Unlike other plants it contains no chlorophyll and needs no sunlight to grow. It likes the dark fertile forest.
In reality it is parasite plant that thrives on certain fungi of trees from where it receives its energy. Single stems grow that range from 3 to 4 inched in height.
The waxy looking stems only produce one single flower.
Sometimes the stems may have some black spotting or even a pinkish cast to them.
It is quite an impressive plant to see and is getting rare here in the parks area. When I run across one that some hikers have mangled it always saddens me because they either do not respect or realize how rare and beautiful a plant it is. And also the plants here in the parks is off limits to picking or destroying.
So if you run across this plant in your walks or hikes please let it grow undisturbed.
