Q: At my local park, I saw something orange tangled in some shrubs by the lake. I thought someone left trash behind, but it seemed pretty well stuck in the plants. Is this some kind of fungus? I’ve ...

A dodder plant begins its life looking like a tapeworm. The tiny plant, which will never grow leaves or roots, elongates in a spindly spiral. Round and round it swirls, searching for a host plant.

Dodder is an obligate parasite of certain plants. This unusual member of the morning glory family is also known as “Angel’s Hair” and “Strangle Weed.” Like Indian pipe, another parasitic plant, Dodder ...

From a distance it looks as if someone splashed a can of bright orange paint onto the salt marsh vegetation. But closer inspection reveals an odd, parasitic plant that is cursed with nicknames like ...