The MGS Forum

Plant identification => Plant identification => Topic started by: Verity on March 06, 2018, 09:42:06 AM

Title: Strangler plant ID'd by Jorun as parasitic dodder (Cuscuta sp.)
Post by: Verity on March 06, 2018, 09:42:06 AM: Please can anyone tell me what this is and how is best to get rid of it. We have been away for a couple of months and I find my sage plant covered in these red threads. I think they arrived with some oregano last year but now I see it as a potential major problem. Should I cut the sage down to the ground or spray what is there with something.
I have pulled lots of it off but will never get rid of all of it that way.
Help would be much appreciated.
Title: Re: Strangled plant
Post by: John J on March 06, 2018, 11:26:23 AM: Hi Verity, I've seen Red Thread as a fungal disease on lawns but never growing through plants like this. I'm sure one of our members will be able to shed some light on the problem.
Title: Re: Strangled plant
Post by: JTh on March 06, 2018, 03:29:30 PM: It looks like, dodder, Cuscuta sp., maybe Cuscuta europea? I would get rid of it as soon as possible, preferably burn it. I bought a basil with a similar threadlike growth that nearly suffocated the plant and I was advised to destroy it immediately before it spread to my other plants. I believe that was Cuscuta epithymun, which is paler, but which behaves in the same way. Dodder can be highly invasive, see more about this parasitic plant here ftp://https://web.stanford.edu/~cbross/dodder.html .

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4284/34959695704_8fe94b97cd_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Vggzyd)
P7086528.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Vggzyd) by Jorun Tharaldsen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/46063510@N03/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Strangler plant ID'd by Jorun as parasitic dodder (Cuscuta sp.)
Post by: Umbrian on March 07, 2018, 09:11:51 AM: Amazing parasitic plant - thanks for the link Jorun made fascinating reading.
Title: Re: Strangler plant ID'd by Jorun as parasitic dodder (Cuscuta sp.)
Post by: Verity on March 08, 2018, 03:41:43 PM: Thank you very much, will cut sage down to the ground and check regularly to make sure it does not re-emerge.