Hiking in the North Georgia mountains this weekend, I found lots of good plants, most of which I already know. Occasionally, you can find something new and this time I did, tucked away under more familiar plants.
Orobanche uniflora, commonly known as one-flowered broomrape, one-flowered cancer root, or ghost pipe. The name has been updated to Aphyllon uniflorum.
According to my research, "it is an obligate parasite, completely dependent on a host plant for its moisture and carbohydrates to grow and reproduce" and uses members of the Saxifragaceae family such as the Tiarella next to it.
Once the blooms fade, there is no trace of it until it flowers again. It was definitely a very special find and quite a worthy #momentinnature for me.
