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