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Cuscuta californica  Hook. & Arn.
California dodder,   Chaparral dodder
© 2019 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2018 David popp
© 2019 stephen rosenthal
© 2019 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2021 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2022 David Strauch
© 2022 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2022 David Strauch
© 2022 David Strauch
© 2019 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2018 Rachelle Gray
© 2018 Rachelle Gray
© 2021 R.A. Chasey
© 2015 Diane Etchison
© 2024 Mike Russler
© 2012 Molly Steele
© 2020 Mitchell Coleman
© 2021 Julie A. Kierstead
© 2021 Julie A. Kierstead
© 2022 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2022 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2023 Keir Morse
© 2023 Keir Morse
© 2023 Keir Morse
© 2023 Keir Morse
© 2023 Keir Morse
© 2016 Andrew Longman
Cuscuta californica is an annual herb or vine (parasitic) that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Cuscuta
Family: Convolvulaceae  
(Cuscutaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland, many plant communities
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Information about  Cuscuta californica from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CUCA)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Phenology: Although this species spends most of its life without any contact with the soil, it is borne from a normal, rooted seed. The seed contains minimal energy reserves, meaning seedlings must locate and parasitize a host within a matter of days. It accomplishes this by means of "foraging" patterns, as dodder seedlings can detect the volatile compounds emitted by host plants. Dodder seedlings are even capable of "selecting" host plants based on their compounds emitted. After it attaches itself to the host, the grounded root dies and the plant becomes completely dependent on the host for nutrition.[3] This species flowers from March to September.[2] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/28/2025).