Arceuthobium americanum

Lodgepole-pine dwarf mistletoe, Lodgepole-Pine Dwarf Mistletoe

Family: Viscaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Lodgepole-pine dwarf mistletoe is a California native perennial found in the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada Mountains in lodgepole-pine forests at elevations of 1,300 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to May, this parasitic plant produces yellow to yellow-green flowers on small branches. Growing 6 to 18 centimeters tall with slender stems approximately 1 to 2 millimeters wide at the base, it forms distinctive whorled larger branches. Its stems are adapted to growing directly on lodgepole pine trees, with staminate branches yellow and pistillate branches yellow-green. Seeds mature from August to September, completing its distinctive annual lifecycle.

Habitat: Lodgepole-pine forest, on

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 1300-2500 m

Bioregions: CaRH, SNH

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.