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Broomrapes (Orobanche)
Broomrapes is a genus of over 200 species of parasitic herbaceous plants , mostly native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The broomrapes plant is small, from 10 to 60 cm tall depending on species. It is best recognized by its yellow- to straw-coloured stems completely lacking chlorophyll, bearing yellow, white, or blue snapdragon-like flowers. The flower shoots are scaly, with a dense terminal spike of between ten and twenty flowers in most species, although single in O. uniflora. The leaves are merely triangular scales. The seeds are minute, tan-to-brown, and blacken with age. 
Lifespan
Annual
Key Facts About Broomrapes
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Attributes of Broomrapes
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Scientific Classification of Broomrapes
Distribution of Broomrapes
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Distribution Map of Broomrapes
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Broomrapes
Feedback
Broomrapes is a parasitic plant genus that primarily requires a host plant to obtain water and nutrients. Basic care involves ensuring the host plant's health, as broomrapes lacks chlorophyll and depends on its host for survival. Light requirements are minimal. Common challenges include managing the delicate balance with the host plant to prevent stunting or death. Seasonal considerations involve timing the broomrapes's life cycle with that of its host, particularly during the host's active growth periods in spring and summer.
How to Water Broomrapes?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Broomrapes?
How to Propagate Broomrapes?
Exploring the Broomrapes Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Small broomrape
Small broomrape is a perennial parasitic plant. It is native to the Middle East but has been introduced into the United States, where it has been classified as a noxious weed. Severe infestations can cause crop failure.
Ivy broomrape
Unlike other plants, ivy broomrape contains no chlorophyll, the element required to absorb light for photosynthesis. Ivy broomrape is considered a parasitic plant because it depends entirely on its host plant, ivy, for survival. Part of the scientific name, hederae, is derived from the Greek and means "of ivy."
Bean broomrape
The Scabious Sommerwurz is a parasitic plant whose stems reach up to 50 (rarely to 80) cm high and about 1.2 cm wide. At the base they are only slightly swollen and sparsely hairy and yellow colored. The leaves are 1.2 to 2.5 cm long and ovate-lanceolate and are dense in the lower part, sparse in the upper.
Slender broomrape
Slender broomrape is a herbaceous, parasitic plant that grows on Birdsfoot Trefoil and Horseshoe Vetches, amongst others. Slender broomrape has been declared a pest in parts of Australia, where it has been found parasitizing on crops. This tall member of the herb family has a self-supporting growth form.
Greater broomrape
Greater broomrape is a parasitic plant that is most often found growing on broom or gorse plants in scrubland and grassland. Greater broomrape is noted for its unpleasant aroma. It is a perennial.
Bedstraw broomrape
The Clove Sommerwurz is a 10 to 60 cm high, parasitic plant that parasitizes on reddish plants (Rubiaceae). The stem is yellowish or purple colored.
Thyme broomrape
Similar to all other broomrape species, thyme broomrape is parasitic. It contains no chlorophyll, so it is unable to get energy from photosynthesis. Instead, thyme broomrape uses wild thyme as its host plant, sharing its coastal habitats and stealing its nutrients. It produces a rich perfume and has a vibrant red appearance. Thyme broomrape flowers from late spring to the end of summer.
Knapweed broomrape
The Great Sommerwurz is a 20 to 60 cm tall, parasitic plant that parasitizes on species of bluebells (Centaurea). The densely packed scales on the stem are usually longer than the internodes.
All Species of Broomrapes
Small broomrape
Small broomrape
Small broomrape is a perennial parasitic plant. It is native to the Middle East but has been introduced into the United States, where it has been classified as a noxious weed. Severe infestations can cause crop failure.
Ivy broomrape
Ivy broomrape
Unlike other plants, ivy broomrape contains no chlorophyll, the element required to absorb light for photosynthesis. Ivy broomrape is considered a parasitic plant because it depends entirely on its host plant, ivy, for survival. Part of the scientific name, hederae, is derived from the Greek and means "of ivy."
Bean broomrape
Bean broomrape
The Scabious Sommerwurz is a parasitic plant whose stems reach up to 50 (rarely to 80) cm high and about 1.2 cm wide. At the base they are only slightly swollen and sparsely hairy and yellow colored. The leaves are 1.2 to 2.5 cm long and ovate-lanceolate and are dense in the lower part, sparse in the upper.
Slender broomrape
Slender broomrape
Slender broomrape is a herbaceous, parasitic plant that grows on Birdsfoot Trefoil and Horseshoe Vetches, amongst others. Slender broomrape has been declared a pest in parts of Australia, where it has been found parasitizing on crops. This tall member of the herb family has a self-supporting growth form.
Greater broomrape
Greater broomrape
Greater broomrape is a parasitic plant that is most often found growing on broom or gorse plants in scrubland and grassland. Greater broomrape is noted for its unpleasant aroma. It is a perennial.
Bedstraw broomrape
Bedstraw broomrape
The Clove Sommerwurz is a 10 to 60 cm high, parasitic plant that parasitizes on reddish plants (Rubiaceae). The stem is yellowish or purple colored.
Thyme broomrape
Thyme broomrape
Similar to all other broomrape species, thyme broomrape is parasitic. It contains no chlorophyll, so it is unable to get energy from photosynthesis. Instead, thyme broomrape uses wild thyme as its host plant, sharing its coastal habitats and stealing its nutrients. It produces a rich perfume and has a vibrant red appearance. Thyme broomrape flowers from late spring to the end of summer.
Knapweed broomrape
Knapweed broomrape
The Great Sommerwurz is a 20 to 60 cm tall, parasitic plant that parasitizes on species of bluebells (Centaurea). The densely packed scales on the stem are usually longer than the internodes.
Amethyst broomrape
Amethyst broomrape
Amethyst broomrape (Orobanche amethystea) is so-named because its elegant purple-white flower stems are the same hue as the semi-precious stone, amethyst. This distinctive wildflower can be seen growing on alkaline soils in grasslands and thickets. Amethyst broomrape is unusual because, unlike most plants, it does not have any chlorophyll.
Orobanche pycnostachya
Orobanche pycnostachya
Orobanche pycnostachya (Orobanche pycnostachya) is a parasitic herbaceous perennial that is native to North America and blooms from late winter through spring. Lacking chlorophyll, it is dependent on other plants for survival, attaching its roots to those of other living plants in order to get nutrition. It is considered a threat to crops and other plants.
Nodding broomrape
Nodding broomrape
Orobanche cernua is a parasitic plant with stems up to 40 cm high. At the base they are only slightly swollen and are more or less glandular hairy and yellow colored. The leaves are 5 to 10 mm long and ovate-lanceolate.
Thistle broomrape
Thistle broomrape
Thistle Sommerwurz is a 25 to 70 cm tall, parasitic plant that parasitizes on Thistles (Cirsium), Thistle (Carduus), Eberwurzen (Carlina), Widow flowers (Knautia) and Scabious (Scabiosa). The calyx is divided into two halves, which usually have no marked veining or at most indistinctely einnervig.
Fetid broomrape
Fetid broomrape
Fetid broomrape is a parasitic flowering plant with a distinct unpleasant odor, lending it the name 'foetida.' It typically lacks green foliage due to its lack of chlorophyll and instead is characterized by spike-like yellow to purple-brown inflorescences. This plant thrives by attaching to the roots of host plants, often favoring legumes, from which it extracts nutrients to survive.
Orobanche kochii
Orobanche kochii
Orobanche kochii is a parasitic herbaceous plant that subtly integrates with its host's root system. It exhibits a pale stem, typically devoid of chlorophyll, with scales replacing normal leaves. Its flowers are bell-shaped, often clustered closely, with colors varying from cream to purple, hinting at its dependence on other plants for nutrition and signaling the need for very specific habitats.
Yellow broomrape
Yellow broomrape
Yellow broomrape is a remarkable yellow-flowered parasitic plant, lacking chlorophyll and relying on a host for nutrients. Often found in European grasslands, its striking bloom emerges from the ground with no leaves, a spike of dense, tubular flowers seated atop. Symbiotically entwined with its host's roots, yellow broomrape is adapted for survival in nutrient-poor soils.
Germander broomrape
Germander broomrape
Germander broomrape is a parasitic plant devoid of chlorophyll, which significantly affects its survival as it relies on a host, typically species of the genus Teucrium. It showcases a spike of purple to pale-yellowish flowers, each poignant with a characteristically swollen corolla tube. Its growth is stunted unless connected to a host from which it stealthily draws nutrients.
Orobanche grenieri
Orobanche grenieri
Orobanche grenieri is a parasitic plant that doesn't produce chlorophyll. Instead, it relies on other plants for all of its nutrients. Juvenile plants put out a root that seeks a host plant from which it steals water and nutrients. This species is so rare in Georgia that an IUCN conservation status has been proposed.
Orobanche laxissima
Orobanche laxissima
Orobanche laxissima is a parasitic plant with a slender, pale stem that typically attaches to the roots of specific host plants. Its lack of chlorophyll renders it unable to photosynthesize, relying instead on nutrients absorbed from its host. The plant blooms with small, tubular flowers usually arranged in loose spikes, hinting at their role in a specialized ecosystem where they impact plant communities' dynamics.
Blue broomrape
Blue broomrape
The bluish Sommerwurz is a parasitisch living plant whose stalks become 10 to 40 cm high. At the base, they are yellowish, swollen and verkahlend, spider web like hairy hairy above. The leaves are 10 to 17 (rarely to 25) mm long and lanceolate.
More Popular Genus
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Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
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About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Broomrapes
Orobanche
Broomrapes is a genus of over 200 species of parasitic herbaceous plants , mostly native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The broomrapes plant is small, from 10 to 60 cm tall depending on species. It is best recognized by its yellow- to straw-coloured stems completely lacking chlorophyll, bearing yellow, white, or blue snapdragon-like flowers. The flower shoots are scaly, with a dense terminal spike of between ten and twenty flowers in most species, although single in O. uniflora. The leaves are merely triangular scales. The seeds are minute, tan-to-brown, and blacken with age.
Lifespan
Annual
Key Facts About Broomrapes
Feedback
Attributes of Broomrapes
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Scientific Classification of Broomrapes
Distribution of Broomrapes
Feedback
Distribution Map of Broomrapes
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Broomrapes
Feedback
Broomrapes is a parasitic plant genus that primarily requires a host plant to obtain water and nutrients. Basic care involves ensuring the host plant's health, as broomrapes lacks chlorophyll and depends on its host for survival. Light requirements are minimal. Common challenges include managing the delicate balance with the host plant to prevent stunting or death. Seasonal considerations involve timing the broomrapes's life cycle with that of its host, particularly during the host's active growth periods in spring and summer.
How to Water Broomrapes?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Broomrapes?
How to Propagate Broomrapes?
Exploring the Broomrapes Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Small broomrape
Small broomrape is a perennial parasitic plant. It is native to the Middle East but has been introduced into the United States, where it has been classified as a noxious weed. Severe infestations can cause crop failure.
Ivy broomrape
Unlike other plants, ivy broomrape contains no chlorophyll, the element required to absorb light for photosynthesis. Ivy broomrape is considered a parasitic plant because it depends entirely on its host plant, ivy, for survival. Part of the scientific name, hederae, is derived from the Greek and means "of ivy."
Bean broomrape
The Scabious Sommerwurz is a parasitic plant whose stems reach up to 50 (rarely to 80) cm high and about 1.2 cm wide. At the base they are only slightly swollen and sparsely hairy and yellow colored. The leaves are 1.2 to 2.5 cm long and ovate-lanceolate and are dense in the lower part, sparse in the upper.
Slender broomrape
Slender broomrape is a herbaceous, parasitic plant that grows on Birdsfoot Trefoil and Horseshoe Vetches, amongst others. Slender broomrape has been declared a pest in parts of Australia, where it has been found parasitizing on crops. This tall member of the herb family has a self-supporting growth form.
Show More Species
All Species of Broomrapes
Small broomrape
Ivy broomrape
Bean broomrape
Slender broomrape
Greater broomrape
Bedstraw broomrape
Thyme broomrape
Knapweed broomrape
Amethyst broomrape
Orobanche pycnostachya
Nodding broomrape
Thistle broomrape
Fetid broomrape
Orobanche kochii
Yellow broomrape
Germander broomrape
Orobanche grenieri
Orobanche laxissima
Blue broomrape
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
