Typically, little attention is paid to parasitic plants in the garden. However, this should change, as parasitic plants can be especially harmful. The two main types of parasitic plants are holoparasitic and hempiparasitic. Both types rely on other plants for survival and suck nutrients from their host plants, which often leads to the host plant’s death. Some of the most common types of hempiparasitic plants include mistletoe, Indian paintbrush, Indian sandalwood, rattle plants, and velvetbells. To the untrained eye, parasitic plants might appear like innocuous wildflowers or weeds. Therefore, it is important to learn what they look like so they can be stopped before they cause true harm.
Key Takeaways:
- There are plants that latch on to other plants to survive – holoparasitic + hemiparasitic
- Hemiparasitic plants are a little better than holo, since they also use photosynthesis.
- Hemiparasitic plants can or can not cause damage to other plants, depending on the plant and the conditions.
“When looking at holoparasitic vs. hemiparasitic plants, the key distinguishing feature is how much of their nutrients are derived from other plants.”
Read more: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/hemiparasitic-plants.htm