Western Australian Christmas Tree - worlds largest PARASITIC plant! Moodja / Nuytsia floribunda.

/ @lifeinthebush
The Western Australian Christmas tree is not only very attractive in flower but makes a significant contribution to bushland biodiversity. It has no close relatives and is vastly different from every other tree species on the planet.
Known as Moodja by the local Noongar people, this plant is actually a mistletoe growing in the form of a tree and is claimed to be the largest parasitic plant in the world.
In this video you will learn about several fascinating features of this unique plant, why it was named the Western Australian Christmas Tree and how it survives in harmony with neighbouring plants, in the natural bushland of the South West of Western Australia.
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[@kristybee9957]

The WA Christmas tree always so pretty to see when you drive down south!! Very informative thanks Karen!!!

[@LifeintheBush]

I totally agree, I love it! Thanks Kristy, glad you found it informative :)

[@trevorinthailand]

Very interesting video!!!

[@LifeintheBush]

Thank you Trevor :)

[@sikuak8794]

the flowers are so beautiful, beautiful like you.
From indonesia. 🙏

[@LifeintheBush]

Thank you

[@naomifrancis7120]

it grows in the Midwest of WA too

[@LifeintheBush]

Yes, absolutely, isn't it a stunning sight😍

[@naomifrancis7120]

@@LifeintheBush yes they are. I have just brought some seed to grow, any advice on a host plant 😀

[@LifeintheBush]

@@naomifrancis7120 That's wonderful, how exciting 😀.I believe they can be grown with something as simple as grass as a host plant. Kings Park Botanic Gardens have success growing them, here is a link to some info on their website www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/about-us/information/our-plants/plants-in-focus/1015. Good luck, I hope you have success, be patient, they may take 20yrs to flower for the first time ☺

[@peterbernhardt4429]

Yes, it is the tallest mistletoe but NOT the only species that grows in soil as a shrub or small tree in Australia. Let us not forget Atkinsonia ligustrina (Louisa's mistletoe) of the Blue Mountains, an endangered species and prone to bush fires. Likewise ,there is the more recently described Gaiadendron coronatum of northwestern South America growing as a thicket. Gaiadendrum punctatum, it's only relative, starts growing in the ground then attaches itself to tree trunks detaching itself from the earth as a woody vine.

[@LifeintheBush]

That's really interesting, I hope to see Atkinsonia ligustrina some day, thanks for sharing Peter.

[@pmbo8]

😍😍🥰

[@georget4141]

Okoubaka is the largest parasitic plant I believe. (same family), but Nuytsia seems to derive more of its nutrients from parasitism than Okoubaka, though idk if Okoubaka has ever really been studied in this way.

[@LifeintheBush]

Hi George T, thank you for your comment and for bringing this to my attention. There are many records stating Nuytsia floribunda to be the largest parasitic plant in the world, however after doing a quick search I can see your point; that the same claim is made of the Okoubaka. How interesting. I will let the scientists come to an agreement on this one. I do know that N. floribunda suckers to form new plants from their roots and therefor many trees in a given area can be genetically identical and technically the same organism, making the size of the organism very large.

[@georget4141]

@@LifeintheBush no problem thank you for the response! Interesting point you bring up regarding clonal trees connected by a shared root system. I can see that adding a lot of biomass, but on the other hand Okoubaka is an upper canopy rainforest tree. It's also very rare due to habitat loss/poaching for bark and has been drastically understudied. The exact location of okoubaka trees is often kept secret because of how rare they are, so it could be impossible to really answer the question of which is larger atm. Id love to hear your colleagues thoughts!

[@clintm4207]

Oops haha

[@LifeintheBush]

:) hehe