# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 73 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Ghost Plant ![Ghost Pipe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Monotropa_uniflora_3270.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monotropa_uniflora_3270.JPG) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ericaceae - **Genus:** Monotropa ## 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 - **Fungal Feeder:** Ghost Pipe can 'steal' nutrients from fungi by living underground, helping it grow without sunlight. - **Shady Survivor:** Ghost Pipe has no chlorophyll, allowing it to thrive in deep, dark forests where other plants can't grow. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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 - [Mycorrhizal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mycorrhizal): This trait describes a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and the roots of a plant, benefiting both organisms. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Parasitic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/parasitic): This trait describes organisms that live on or in a host organism, obtaining nutrients at the host's expense. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not touch or pick plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Ghost Pipe? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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 to spot - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arrowmont-school-of-arts-and-crafts) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Ashton Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ashton-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Camp Evans](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-evans) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Camp Misty Mount Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-misty-mount-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [Capen-Clark Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/capen-clark-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District [View all places to see Ghost Pipe](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ghost-pipe) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Ghost Pipe: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ghost-pipe)