My Basil has Dodder.

By Kaz
United Kingdom
September 21, 2023 11:20am CST
I bought a basil plant from the supermarket for culinary use. Before I could use it I noticed some yellow tendrils sprouting from the plant. At first I thought there was another plant growing from the soil in the pot and then I realised the tendrils were coming straight out of the basil Now, I'm no botanist but I'd never seen basil do that before so I started investigating. Turns out my basil was host to a parasitic plant called Dodder. There are various varieties under the botanical name Cuscuta. Some varieties are used in herbal medicine for anything from UTIs to psychiatric disorders. It has a number of folkloric names such as Devil’s Threads, Devil’s Nets, Devil’s Guts, hellbine, and witch's hair. Scientists have discovered that Dodder has a sense of smell and can sense potential host plants around it and will grow towards them. If it's host plant is attacked it will actually send warnings to other hosts telling them to raise their defences against pests like caterpillars. Have you heard of this plant before or seen it anywhere?
5 people like this
5 responses
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
21 Sep
I've never heard of Dodder before... I'd probably return the basil and either get a different plant or just get my money back.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (216342)
• Chile
21 Sep
In my country when we have that parasite plant around, we cut is away far from where it is and burn it. It infects everything. The translation from Spanish would be Old man´s beard.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85975)
• United States
21 Sep
That sounds so crazy. And, kind of creepy, but cool. I think that is the only time I have ever said anything creepy was cool.
@LeaPea2417 (36580)
• Toccoa, Georgia
21 Sep
I have never heard of that, very interesting.
@xFiacre (12496)
• Ireland
21 Sep
@karenanne that’s a first for me.