# Sickletop Lousewort (*Pedicularis racemosa*)

Sickletop Lousewort is a unique flower that grows in the mountains. Its pretty blooms can be pink or purple, and they have a special shape that looks like a little sickle!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Mountain regions

![Sickletop Lousewort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pedicularis_racemosa_0270.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pedicularis_racemosa_0270.JPG)

## Appearance

The Sickletop Lousewort has reddish-purple stems with deeply cut, fern-like leaves. Its distinctive tubular flowers are curved like a sickle, ranging from white to pinkish-purple, arranged in a loose cluster. This unique shape helps distinguish it from other alpine plants.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Orobanchaceae
- **Genus:** Pedicularis

## Interesting facts

- Its unique flower shape perfectly fits the heads of its favorite pollinators, like a key in a lock!
- The name 'Lousewort' came from an old belief that grazing animals eating it would get lice. (It's not true!)
- This plant uses a hidden superpower: it can secretly connect to other plants underground to share resources.
- You can often spot these tough flowers growing high up on mountain slopes, even among rocks and evergreen trees!

## Special abilities

- **Root Robber:** Sickletop Lousewort can tap into the roots of nearby plants to steal water and nutrients, helping it thrive in tough mountain soil.
- **High-Altitude Survivor:** The Sickletop Lousewort has adaptations that help it grow in cold, rocky mountain environments where many other plants struggle.
- **Bumblebee Beacon:** Sickletop Lousewort has perfectly curved flowers that guide specific bumblebees, ensuring efficient pollination and successful reproduction.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to early fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Mixed Bumblebee (*Bombus mixtus*) — Transfers pollen between flowers
- **Parasitizes:** [Subalpine Fir](https://www.snappit.app/explore/subalpine-fir) (*Abies lasiocarpa*) — Steals nutrients from its roots
- **Eaten by:** [Elk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/elk) (*Cervus canadensis*) — Browses occasionally on leaves

## Traits

- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones.
- [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

Always look but don't pick flowers, as they help nature and the animals around them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Sickletop Lousewort?

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 Sickletop Lousewort?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Sickletop Lousewort spread?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Sickletop Lousewort?

1-2 cm

### When does Sickletop Lousewort bloom?

Summer to early fall

### Is Sickletop Lousewort edible?

No

### Is Sickletop Lousewort toxic?

Mild

### What is Sickletop Lousewort's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Paradise Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/paradise-historic-district) — Washington, US · Historic District
- [Stagleap Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stagleap-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## 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: [Sickletop Lousewort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sickletop-lousewort)