If you come across the odd-looking Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora) during a stroll in the woods, you may ask—Is it a fungus, and is it safe? Rest assured, you have nothing to fear from seeing this plant. Just don’t eat it.
It is often called Indian pipe fungus, ghost plant, corpse plant, and ghost pipe. The strange-looking plant is not a fungus at all – it is a flowering wildflower in the blueberry family that simply resembles a fungus.
Although the plant is not a fungus, it can’t make its own food. It has no chlorophyll and gets its nutrients through mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, which tap into the resources of nearby trees. Since the plant does not rely on photosynthesis for its nutrients, it can grow in areas with little light, such as dark forests.
The Indian Pipe lives in close association with beeches and other trees. In this way, most of the plant’s energy is a product of photosynthesis.
You’ll find this herbaceous woodland wildflower in moist shady areas in the United States and Canada. It has a wide distribution range.
Outside of North America, it grows in the cool mountains of Central and South America, the Himalayas of southern Asia, and India, Japan, and China.
What Is The Indian Pipe Plant?
The striking appearance of Indian pipe makes it hard to miss. Their appearance comes from the plant’s lack of chlorophyll and results in a pale, non-green plant with a waxy coloration.
It’s single white, waxy stem grows between 3″ – 9″ inches long and 0.75″ – 1″ inch in diameter. It is very fragile.
Since it is a non-photosynthesizing plant, it grows small-scale-like leaves. The plant’s stem and flowers come up from a fibrous root system between May and October.
Small bees pollinate the flowers. After pollination, the flower shifts upward, and the seed capsule matures in this position.
The plant’s flowers bloom following heavy rainfall in late summer and fall. The plant turns black when it is dying.
You won’t find Indian Pipes in sunny areas or grassy meadows. They prefer shady wooded areas, growing directly on the forest floor.
Upon first glance, the plant appears white, but you may see black spots and a pink coloration if you look closely. Some species of the plant may appear to have a yellow or reddish color.
What Damage Does Indian Pipe Cause?
Indian pipe is a harmless plant, even though it can’t make its own food. As a parasitic plant, it doesn’t harm trees or other plants. It’s simply part of the forest ecology.
Don’t eat it. Whether Indian pipe is safe to eat has never been established, and wild plants are already under pressure from people collecting them for herbal use.
Native Americans believed the plant had medicinal properties. They used its clear liquid to treat eye infections.
Should You Remove Indian Pipe?
There’s no real reason to get rid of or control the Indian Pipe Fungus. It doesn’t harm trees or other plants, and it is part of the forest ecosystem where it lives. Its safety for people and animals hasn’t been established, so don’t eat it.
You typically won’t come across Indian pipe in your home garden because it tends to grow in areas with dense forests. If you live in a woody area with a moist climate where beeches and other trees grow, you may come across the plant from time to time.
The Indian Pipe Fungus is rare, especially in gardens. If you find it growing in your yard, leave it alone. It does no harm, and it depends on fungi in the soil around nearby trees, so it is very hard to move or grow anywhere else. United Plant Savers lists ghost pipe as At-Risk because of over-collecting from the wild, and it is critically imperiled in several states.