DODDER

Cuscuta gronovii Willd.

University of Massachusetts, Cranberry Experiment Station

Hilary A. Sandler

Common or swamp dodder (Cuscuta gronovii Willd.) is enhances the survival capacity of many Cuscuta species
the most prevalent and abundant species of dodder in in modern agroecosystems. Dodder is considered to be
North America. Its range extends from Maine and Nova a very serious pest in commercial cranberry production,
Scotia to Florida and westward through Canada and the capable of reducing yields by at least 50% (Bewick et al.,
Midwest. It is more abundant in the central and northeast 1988) and sometimes as high as 80 to 100% (Devlin and
regions of the United States (Yuncker, 1965). It is an Deubert, 1980).
obligate parasite, consisting of yellow twining stems that
produce small clusters of white flowers (Parker and Riches, Control of dodder remains challenging for cranberry
1993). Dodder can establish parasitic relationships with growers. Many management options available to growers
many agricultural hosts, including cranberry (Vaccinium of annual crops (e.g., altering time of planting, crop rotation,
macrocarpon Ait.), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), alfalfa etc.) are not possible in perennial systems. Pre-
(Medicago sativa) and clover (Trifolium spp). It is also emergence herbicides are currently available for control of
capable of infecting many other dicotyledonous weeds dodder. Research has shown that cultural practices, such
and wild plants (Dawson et al., 1994). as uniform applications of sand (Sandler et al., 1997) may
inhibit germination of dodder seedlings. In contrast,
Botanists classify this group of parasitic plants either as studies have shown that late water floods are not effective
one of over 50 genera in the family, Convolvulaceae (as for control of dodder. Combining chemical and cultural
per Yuncker), or place them as a single genus in their strategies may offer the best solution for suppressing
own family, Cuscutaceae (Gleason and Cronquist, 1991). dodder in cranberry production (Sandler, 2001).
Yuncker described approximately 150 species of Cuscuta,
while Gleason and Cronquist described approximately 15 General Description
species. The lack of distinctive stem characteristics, Dodder is an annual plant known by several common
absence of leaves and roots, and the presence of very names, such as strangle weed, angel’s hair, and golden
small flowers, make these plants very difficult to classify. thread (Yuncker, 1965). Seedlings consist only of stem
tissue and have no leaves or roots. Stems are slender
Dodder is an organism that is prevalent in disturbed strands, usually yellow to orange in color. Even though
habitats, which promotes their function as serious weeds dodder relies on its host for life-sustaining nutrients, some
(Dawson et al., 1994). For example, C. gronovii is species may contain very small concentrations of
described as growing along stream margins, areas of chlorophyll. Dodder is classified as an annual plant
continual erosion. Their adaptation to disturbed habitats (completes its life cycle in one season). However, it can

Closeup of dodder stem

and flowers on loosestrife.
Arch of a newly germinated
Cranberry bog infested with dodder. seedling.

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overwinter as haustoria (specialized structures that in mowed or pruned vines received from other bogs. Care
transport nutrients from the host to the parasite) if the should be taken to fully investigate the presence of any
stems of the infected host plant live through the winter. existing dodder infestations prior to the purchase of vine
cuttings.
Life Cycle and Dispersal
Dodder is an obligate parasite; it cannot complete its life Seeds and Seedlings
cycle alone. It must form a successful attachment to a Seeds of C. gronovii are very tiny (0.5-1.0 mm diameter),
host to live beyond the seedling stage. When the seedling gray to brown in color. They are irregularly round in shape.
finds a suitable host, it will twine around the stem. Dodder The seed coat is very hard and has a rough surface. Several
will penetrate the susceptible tissues of the host and tiny seeds (ca. 2-4) may be present within a single fruit
produce specialized absorption structures called haustoria. capsule. Only a small percentage of the seed population
It then loses contact with the ground and lives totally off in the soil may germinate in any single season. It is
the host plant. If an acceptable host is not nearby or is thought that seed can remain viable for many years.
not colonized, the seedling will die. Research initiated in 1997 at the UMass Cranberry Station
indicates that dodder seed collected from Massachusetts
Within 2 to 4 days after the seedling has twined around cranberry farms remains viable at least 4 years after
the host, haustorial swellings can be seen (MacLoed, planting (Sandler, unpublished data). Thus, once a farm
1961). Haustoria have a high level of growth activity. Even is infested, it can remain infested for many years.
if all exterior portions of the dodder plant are completely
removed from the host, the embedded haustoria can Most seedlings emerge from a depth of 0.5-1.0 inch of
remain alive. New stem tissue can be subsequently soil. Seedlings are rootless and leafless, consisting a
generated from the embedded haustoria. This phenomenon thin, yellow, threadlike stem. They emerge as an arch
reinforces the need for complete removal of infected hosts (see photo on front page), straighten out and then begin
far away from the bog area. to twist in a counterclockwise direction (circumnutation).
At this point, they can contact a vertical host and twine
Dodder reproduces by seed, but these are not easily around it. Often, newly emerged seedlings are rather
dispersed by animals or wind. The fruiting capsule has a difficult to find on the bog floor. It is preferable to look for
large amount of air space and can be buoyant. them in thinly vined or bare areas of the bed.
Consequently, the major means of dispersal is by water
or by human activities. For example, water harvesting Shoots
has significantly increased the dispersal and occurrence After attaching to the host, new shoots will develop from
of dodder in Massachusetts over the past several decades. the portion of the dodder seedling that is twined around
Seed can also be spread through the irrigation system if the host. These stems grow rapidly and re-attach to the
the water is contaminated with dodder. Dodder stems host plant. Dodder may attach itself many times to the
and seeds, as well as infected hosts, can also be spread same host or branch off to attach to different hosts. If a

Narrow-leaved goldenrod infected

with dodder. The parasite has
produced flowers and seeds on Twining and haustorial
the host. connections on carrot.

Seeds and capsules.

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seedling does not contact a suitable host, it will continue Raking is another non-chemical option for dodder control.
to elongate. The growing tip will remain succulent and For light to moderate infestations, raking is not
viable while the basal portion will begin to senescence recommended as fruit yield and quality are diminished
and wither. Greenhouse studies (Sandler et al., 1997) and dodder growth is unaffected. For heavy infestations,
indicated that unattached seedlings could survive (as raking can prevent the onset of upright dieback caused by
determined by visual observation) for a maximum of 50 dodder parasitism. It can also prevent leaf-drop due to
days, though most seedlings survived 3 to 9 days after shading of the cranberry plant by the dodder canopy.
emergence. However, this research did not verify the ability Raking after seed set offers more control than raking prior
of these older seedlings to successfully attach to a host. to seed set. Research has shown that there is no
Note also that field conditions tend to be more harsh than additional benefit to raking more than once (Bewick et
greenhouse conditions and would presumably shorten the al., 1999).
longevity period for newly emerged seedlings.
Two pre-emergence herbicides are currently available for
Flowers and Fruit control of dodder (Sandler, 2001). Even though these
After growing vegetatively, dodder produces clusters of herbicides can be very effective, their efficacy is related to
flowers that may be white, pink, or yellowish. The the correct timing of the application and to the presence
numerous flowers (see photo on previous page) produce of an effective quantity of herbicide within the germination
abundant fruit or capsules that contain the seeds. These layer. Research has documented that the emergence of
may fall to the ground and/or be spread during harvest dodder seedlings can extend over a period of 2 to 3 months
operations or water movement. (Ellis et al., 2000). This germination period can exceed
the performance time period reasonably expected for these
Management products. As a result, a portion of the population can
Prevention of infestation is the best control option for escape herbicide control and continue to infest the bog
dodder. All attempts should be made to avoid introduction during the summer months.
of contaminated material or water into a clean bog. If you
must use equipment from an infested field, thoroughly clean Postemergence options are very limited. Recent research
the equipment prior to use in the clean area. It is important indicated that some commercial cleaning products may
to scout various areas of the bog for signs of early offer some post-emergence control (J. Morrison,
germination and later in the season, seedling that escaped unpublished data). These studies included an intensive
control from herbicide applications. Thinly vined areas or spray program that would likely be cost-prohibitive for many
areas where dodder was previously known to occur are growers. Current recommendations do include the use of
excellent places to scout for new seedlings. Detection of 10% soap (mild) solution to burn the stems prior to
early seedlings is critical for correction timing of application flowering. Care should be taken since these applications
for pre-emergence herbicides. are also phytotoxic to cranberries. Contact herbicides
may kill the dodder, but they usually caused significant
Secondly, manage other weeds that serve as early season vine injury and death as well. It may be possible that the
hosts, such as narrow-leaved golden rod (Euthamia dodder will be more susceptible to some chemicals than
tenuifolia) and loosestrife (Lysmachia terrestris). Research the cranberry plant. In all cases, attempts should be made
in cranberry (M.J. Else, unpublished data) showed that to control dodder prior to flowering or it may continue to
control of these early season hosts significantly reduced form viable seeds before it dies.
subsequent infestation by dodder seedlings. Dodder can
easily penetrate and become established on herbaceous A promising mycoherbicide (a commercial product derived
hosts. Stem growth generated from the haustoria from the fungus, Alternaria destruens, that infects dodder)
embedded in these initial hosts are used to infest new has been in the development phase for many years.
cranberry tissue. Hand removal of infested hosts also Introduction of this product into the marketplace is
results in reduced dodder infestations. Be sure to remove hopefully imminent. Development of another commercial
all infested plants and dodder far away from the bog. product utilizing Colletotrichum gleosporoides is in
progress. Host range studies and other research is also
Hand removal of young dodder seedlings is time- underway. A postemergence option should greatly
consuming, but can be done in light infestations. Many enhance the success rate for control of dodder. These
seedlings die prior to attachment to the host. Therefore, options fit well into integrated weed management programs
wait until the dodder has formed an attachment and then because they are target-specific compounds and are
remove the dodder and the host from the farm area. applied only to infested portions of the bog.

UMASS / AMHERST - CRANBERRY EXPERIMENT STATION

Literature Cited Gleason, H.A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular
plants of Northeastern United States and adjacent
Bewick, T.A., L.K. Binning, and M.N. Dana. 1988. Post- Canada, Second Edition. New York Botanical
attachment control of swamp dodder (Cuscuta Garden, Bronx, New York.
gronovii) in cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
and carrot (Daucus carota). Weed Technol. 2:166- MacLoed, D.G. 1961. Some anatomical and physiological
169. observations on two species of Cuscuta. Trans.
Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 39:302-315.
Bewick, T.A., J.C. Porter, and D.M Warrick. 1999. Raking
is ineffective as a means of mechanical control Parker, C. and C.R. Riches. 1993. Parasitic weeds of the
of dodder (Cuscuta gronovii) in cranberry. WSSA world-Biology and control. CAB International,
abstracts 39:105. Oxon, UK.

Dawson, J.H., L.J. Musselman, P. Wolswinkel, and I. Dorr. Sandler, H.A. 2001. Weed management., p. 11-24. In: H.
1994. Biology and control of Cuscuta. Review of A. Sandler, C. J. DeMoranville, and D. Cannon
Weed Science 6:265-317. (eds.). Cranberry chart book-Management guide
for Massachusetts. UMass Ext. Publ., East
Devlin, R.M. and K.H. Deubert. 1980. Control of swamp Wareham, MA.
dodder (Cuscuta gronovii) on cranberry bogs with
butralin. Proc. Northeast Weed Science Society Sandler, H.A., M.J. Else, and M. Sutherland. 1997.
11:112-113. Application of sand for inhibition of swamp dodder
(Cuscuta gronovii) seedling emergence and
Ellis, D.J., A. Kim, H.A. Sandler, J.E. Darga, D. Keeney, survival on cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
and T.A. Bewick. 2001. Analysis of chloroplast bogs. Weed Technol. 11:318-323.
DNA to distinguish intraspecific populations of the
cranberry parasite, Cuscuta gronovii. Amer. Yuncker, T.G. 1965. North American flora II - Cuscuta.
Chem Soc. Proc. Paper No. 434230. New York Botanical Garden Monograph. 4:1-51.

Published by:
Cranberry Experiment Station, University of MA
P.O. Box 569, E.Wareham, MA 02538. (508) 295-2212.

June 2001. UMass Extension Agroecology Program. Hilary

Issued by UMass Extension, Cleve Willis, Dean & Director, in A. Sandler is an Extension Educator-Cranberry IPM at the
furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, University of Cranberry Experiment Station in East Wareham, MA. Photos
Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture, and taken by M.J. Else, J. Mika, J. Mason, and H.A. Sandler.
County Extension, cooperating.
UMass Extension provides equal opportunity in programs This fact sheet was supported by a special grant from the
and employment. Masschusetts Department of Food and Agriculture.

UMASS / AMHERST - CRANBERRY EXPERIMENT STATION