Arceuthobium campylopodum

Western dwarf mistletoe, Western Dwarf Mistletoe

Family: Viscaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Western dwarf mistletoe is a native perennial found in northwestern California, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, central western California, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin, and Desert Mountains in conifer forest at elevations up to 2,800 meters. Flowering from July to November, this parasitic plant produces small, inconspicuous yellowish-green flowers. Growing with slender stems 3 to 14 centimeters long that range from yellow to olive-green or brown, it attaches directly to host conifer trees. Its reduced leaves are scale-like, adapted for its specialized parasitic lifestyle on pine and other conifer species. Seeds mature from August to December, allowing the mistletoe to spread and establish on new host trees.

Habitat: Common. Conifer forest, on

Bloom period: Generally Jul-Nov

Elevation: < 2800 m

Bioregions: NW, CaR, SN, CW, TR, PR, GB, DMtns

California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Tulare, Merced, Lake, Siskiyou, Fresno, Riverside, Monterey, Tuolumne, Butte, Ventura, San Diego, San Benito, Placer, Mariposa, Santa Barbara, El Dorado, Trinity, Shasta, Plumas, Alpine, Napa, Inyo, San Luis Obispo, Madera, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Del Norte, Mendocino, Calaveras, Lassen, Nevada, Sierra, Sonoma, Tehama, San Mateo, Colusa, Glenn, Modoc, Humboldt, Amador, Marin, Mono, Sacramento, Yolo, Santa Cruz

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