Species Profile -- Witchweed USDA. NAL. National Invasive Species Information Center.
Witchweed (Striga asiatica) is a parasitic plant that attacks some of the most important crops in the United States -- corn, sorghum, sugar cane, and rice. It also parasitizes certain weedy grasses. Unlike most weeds, which merely compete with crops, parasites like witchweed do their damage more directly. They rob nutrients and moisture by
tapping directly into the host’s root system. Consequently, the host spends energy supporting witchweed growth at its own expense.
* See our Plants section for more species profiles.
