Meadow Orobanche Seeds (Orobanche uniflora)

The most mysterious of prairie wildflowers

Burdened with various unflattering alternative common names, this is among the most enchanting and mysterious of North American wildflowers. 

Leafless and non-photosynthetic, Meadow Orobanche is a parasitic plant, a species that attaches itself to the root system of a host plant (via root-like haustoria), drawing upon borrowed nutrients to grow into a kind of small tuber, hidden within the soil; flowering only once in its life before dying.

Nobody really knows how long this lifespan is. A year? Two years? The tiny, dust like seeds of this plant are perhaps scattered on the winds, landing in countless locations where they might lay dormant, perhaps for years, before germinating. 

How and when Meadow Orobanche finds and attaches to a host is a mystery. It is thought, (but not certain) that the roots of suitable host plants emit chemical clues triggering nearby Orobanche seeds to germinate. There may further be fungal intermediaries that facilitate this process by guiding the Orobanche haustoria to the roots of a host, possibly even helping to secure a connection between them.

This entire event may be as rare as one in a billion chances, but when a successful host connection occurs the Meadow Orobanche grows its secret, fleshy tuber for months or years, storing up the energy needed to produce a single, gloriously beautiful purple flower. 

The range of potential hosts to which Meadow Orobanche might attach itself is unknown. However prospects include various members of the Asteraceae, Saxifragaceae, Crassulaceae, and possibly Apiaceae families. We think both Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum) and Spring Gold (Lomatium utriculatum) are possible hosts. As such, we don’t have solid advice for how to propagate this plant, but we simply recommend seeding it into the soil around these and other potential hosts. Meadow Orobanche may also have an affinity for damp locations, and rocky sites. It seems to tolerate both full sun and partial shade.

Similarly, very little is known about the fauna associations of this plant. The deeply purple flower (with yellow center) arises from a fleshy white stalk less than 12-inches in height, and is possibly visited by bumble bees, based on the structure and color.

NOTE: Each small packet contains a cracked seed pod, containing at least 100 (and possibly up to several thousand) extremely tiny, dust-like seeds. It is not feasible for us to provide a precise seed count for these packets. Please expect extremely tiny seeds that may be a challenge to handle and work with. This plant is best for experiences propagators.