Ivy Creek Foundation

Ivy Creek Natural Area Flowers:

Indian Pipe

Family Ericaeae, Monotropa uniflora

Although it resembles a fungus, this is actually a wildflower but it does not use chlorophyll. As a saprophyte it uses a symbiotic relationship with a fungus on its roots to obtain food.

This 3-inch to 12-inch tall plant is normally translucent white but tends to turn black within a few days. Indian Pipe usually grows in clusters in wooded areas in the summer.

IndianPipes0 © 1997 Stowe Keller

Indian Pipes

The Ivy Creek Foundation / P.O. Box 956 / Charlottesville, VA 22902 / 434-973-7772 /  icf@ivycreekfoundation.org