This nasty weed fascinates me! Not that I like it, but because of how it grows.
Dodder is a noxious weed! It is also a parasite. Unlike mistletoe, which has green leaves and extracts water and food from the host plants, Dodder takes out all the carbohydrates.
Like all parasites it is very hard to kill once you get it, you have to kill the host. This nasty vine grows 3 inches a day. Of course nothing like kudzu!
We work really hard to NEVER let this get started on our land, but roadsides are another story. These two photos are by one of the stop signs on my way home from work.
Another rather interesting fact is Dodder usually starts showing up in August and this is July.
I hope it isn’t a sign that we are headed into another LONG winter!
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
I have not seen this before but I will be able to remember because of the picture. Plant are declining into the beginning of a fall state. Skunk cabbage is close to done. Columbimes long gone but not at altitude. Thinks are changing sooner it seems.
LikeLike
We don’t have that thing here yet and hope we never do. I hope it’s not another long winter either…….I think spring has finally arrived though 😉
LikeLike
How interesting, Linda… I love hearing about things in life which I know nothing about. I have never heard of dodder. I have however heard of Kudzu… YUK–when it comes to Kudzu….. We have a vine in our area (Virginia Creeper) which (in addition to Poison Ivy) grows up the trees all over the place… Luckily, it’s mostly in the empty lots—but I have to watch –or it will ‘creep’ back up some of our shade trees… I’ve seen trees just totally full of those vines —and the vines can choke the trees and kill them…..
Great post…
Thanks!
Hugs,
Betsy
LikeLike
Yuck. I’ve never even heard of it. We’ve got a plant here that grows into a bushy pink tree that some fool brought and sneaked into Arizona from China many years ago. He planted it down by the Salt River and now they can’t get rid of it. It takes over every other plant that is native to Arizona. Like we don’t have enough trouble from China, he had to do that.
LikeLike
eeew it looks creepy, pardon the pun. I hope you never get infested with it.
LikeLike
I put my fingers in my ears when I read about a long winter. Terry was right last year and I just dont want to even think about it.
Dodder is interesting….from a distance.
LikeLike
I had never heard of Dodder before. It looks interesting.
LikeLike
I’ve not heard of dodder. Thankfully. And I wouldn’t mind a long winter…especially if it would blow in right now. Yeesh.
LikeLike
It is very pretty in its own way as so many weeds are. Just unfortunate it’s such a noxious weed.
I’m praying for winter and snow daily after this most hot summer. It’s been relentless here and very uncomfortable.
LikeLike
It is a nightmare plant.. as far as I know we don’t have it here ..yet:)
LikeLike