ExplorePlants

Ghost Pipe

Monotropa uniflora

The Ghost Pipe is a special plant that looks like it's made of ghostly white wax! It doesn’t need sunlight to grow because it gets its food from the forest floor.

Habitat: Forests

Appearance

The Ghost Pipe is a ghostly white, translucent plant with a waxy texture. It has scale-like leaves instead of green ones and a single, nodding, bell-shaped flower at the top. Sometimes it has pink or purple tints, standing out against the dark forest floor.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderEricalesFamilyEricaceaeGenusMonotropa
Ghost Pipe
mycorrhizal trait badgeflowering trait badgeshade_tolerant trait badgesummer_blooming trait badge
Ghost Pipe

Category

Plants

Rarity

Rare

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

Be the first to snap!

Interesting facts

Ghost Pipes pop up quickly after summer rains.

It doesn't need sunlight at all to grow!

Its flower usually points downwards, then straightens when ripe!

Native Americans used it traditionally for eye ailments.

Special abilities

Ability

Fungal Feeder

Ghost Pipe can 'steal' nutrients from fungi by living underground, helping it grow without sunlight.

Ability

Shady Survivor

Ghost Pipe has no chlorophyll, allowing it to thrive in deep, dark forests where other plants can't grow.

Ability

Ephemeral Bloom

Ghost Pipe quickly emerges from the ground, blooms, and fades away, making it a rare forest treasure.

Measurements & details

Height
10-30 cm
Flower Size
1.5-2.5 cm
Bloom Season
Summer to early Fall (July-September)
Edible
No
Toxicity
Mild
Lifecycle
Perennial
Pollination Method
Insect

Ecological connections

parasitizes

Firm Russula

Russula compacta

Ghost Pipe 'steals' nutrients from this fungus.

symbiotic with

American Beech

Fagus grandifolia

This tree forms a vital link in the Ghost Pipe's food chain.

pollinates

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Bombus impatiens

This bee visits the Ghost Pipe's unique flower.

Traits

Also known as

Ghost Plant

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Do not touch or pick plants without asking an adult first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall is Ghost Pipe?

10-30 cm

How big are the flowers on Ghost Pipe?

1.5-2.5 cm

When does Ghost Pipe bloom?

Summer to early Fall (July-September)

Is Ghost Pipe edible?

No

Is Ghost Pipe toxic?

Mild

What is Ghost Pipe's lifecycle?

Perennial

How is Ghost Pipe pollinated?

Insect

Where is Ghost Pipe usually found?

Forests

Snap Map

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Where to spot

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