Some flowers might catch your eye with their beauty—but behind the blooms, they’re secretly freeloaders. I’ve fallen for a few of these before, only to regret it when they started causing trouble.
They might look like they belong, but they’re busy stealing from the plants around them. If you’re planting with care, it’s good to know which ones to skip.
Let’s go through the sneaky charmers and find better choices for a happy, balanced garden.
1. Dodder
Looking like orange spaghetti strands draped across your garden, this sneaky plant latches onto hosts with specialized suckers. Once attached, it abandons its own roots and lives entirely off your prized plants.
Dodder can spread alarmingly fast, wrapping around multiple victims in a tangled mess. If you spot these golden threads in your garden, remove them immediately—roots and all—before they strangle your entire flower bed.
2. Broomrape
Despite their lovely purple-blue spikes that resemble delphinium, broomrapes are garden thieves in disguise. They connect directly to the roots of nearby plants, siphoning off water and nutrients without doing any photosynthesis themselves.
Many gardeners mistake them for interesting wildflowers until nearby plants begin mysteriously declining. Complete removal is necessary, as these parasites produce thousands of dust-like seeds that can remain viable in soil for years.
3. Indian Paintbrush
The fiery red-orange blooms of Indian Paintbrush create spectacular wildflower displays, but they’re secretly part-time thieves. Their roots tap into neighboring plants, particularly grasses and sagebrush, stealing some nutrients while still making their own food.
Many gardeners try bringing these beauties home from the wild, only to watch them struggle and die. They require specific host plants to survive, making them nearly impossible to cultivate without accidentally introducing a parasite to your garden.
4. Mistletoe
Famous for holiday kisses, mistletoe has a darker side as a tree parasite. Those festive green clusters burrow their roots directly into tree branches, stealing water and nutrients while weakening the structure of the limb.
Heavy infestations can eventually kill entire sections of trees or make branches brittle and dangerous. While commercially harvested for decorations, you definitely don’t want this holiday plant taking up residence in your prized landscape trees.
5. Yellow Rattle
With cheerful yellow flowers and seed pods that make a distinctive rattling sound when dry, this meadow plant seems harmless. Don’t be fooled! Yellow rattle earned the nickname “meadow vampire” by tapping into grass roots and draining them of nutrients.
Surprisingly, some meadow restoration projects actually use yellow rattle intentionally to weaken aggressive grasses. For garden beds, however, this parasite can quickly spread and attack your ornamental grasses and lawn edges.
6. Witchweed
Small but mighty, witchweed produces dainty pink or red flowers that belie its destructive nature. This agricultural nightmare attaches to the roots of corn, sugarcane, and other crops, causing billions in damage worldwide.
A single witchweed plant can produce over 50,000 microscopic seeds that remain viable in soil for decades. Though primarily an agricultural pest, it can easily hitch a ride into home gardens and attack ornamental grasses, making it a flower to avoid at all costs.
7. Ghost Pipe
Hauntingly beautiful with translucent white stems and nodding bell-shaped flowers, ghost pipes lack chlorophyll entirely. They’re parasites with a twist—they steal from fungi that are already connected to tree roots in a complex three-way relationship.
While fascinating to spot in woodland walks, attempts to transplant them to garden settings almost always fail. Their complex parasitic relationship means they can’t survive without specific forest fungi and trees, making them impossible garden subjects.
8. Corpse Flower
Not the famous stinky titan arum, but rather the Rafflesia—the world’s largest single flower that emerges directly from its host vine. With no stems, leaves, or roots of its own, it exists solely as threadlike strands inside its host until it erupts into a massive bloom.
The spectacular red-brown flowers can reach three feet across and smell like rotting meat. While you’re unlikely to encounter these rainforest rarities in nurseries, their fascinating parasitic lifestyle makes them worth knowing about.
9. Strangler Fig
Starting life as an innocent-seeming seedling high in tree canopies, strangler figs send roots downward that eventually encase and suffocate their host tree. The process can take decades, but the end result is a hollow fig tree where the original host once stood.
While mostly tropical, some varieties are sold as ornamentals or houseplants. Be cautious—they can damage structures with their aggressive roots and should never be planted near buildings, walls, or other valuable plants.
10. Butterfly Bush
While not technically parasitic, butterfly bush earns its spot through its invasive nature that parasitizes entire ecosystems. The gorgeous purple flower spikes attract pollinators but escape gardens easily, crowding out native plants that wildlife actually need for survival.
Many states now ban sales of traditional butterfly bush varieties. If you love their look, seek out the newer sterile cultivars that won’t spread, or better yet, choose native alternatives that support local butterfly populations without the ecological damage.
11. Coneflower
Unlike its parasitic counterparts, the beloved coneflower stands proudly on its own roots. These daisy-like blooms with raised centers come in purple, pink, white, and even green, offering months of garden color.
Pollinators flock to coneflowers, while their strong stems resist flopping even in summer storms. Leave the seedheads standing through fall and winter to feed hungry birds and add architectural interest to your winter garden landscape.
12. Bee Balm
Crowns of spiky, tubular flowers in red, pink, or purple make bee balm a showstopper that supports garden health rather than harming it. Hummingbirds and bees can’t resist these nectar-rich blooms that sit atop aromatic foliage.
Native to North America, bee balm grows happily without stealing from neighboring plants. Its minty fragrance naturally repels certain garden pests, making it a beneficial companion plant that earns its keep while looking spectacular.
13. Yarrow
Flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers in white, yellow, or pink create landing pads for beneficial insects on this drought-tolerant superstar. Yarrow’s feathery foliage adds texture even when the plant isn’t blooming.
Far from parasitic, yarrow actually improves soil health by accumulating nutrients from deep in the soil. Its extensive root system helps prevent erosion while requiring minimal water once established, making it both beautiful and functional in sunny garden beds.
14. Salvia
Spikes of tubular flowers in blues, purples, reds, and pinks make salvias garden standouts from spring through fall. Their aromatic foliage naturally deters many garden pests while attracting pollinators by the dozens.
Unlike parasitic plants, salvias are self-sufficient garden workhorses that thrive in poor soil and drought conditions. Many varieties return reliably year after year, gradually forming larger clumps that can be divided to create free plants for other garden areas.
15. Black-Eyed Susan
Cheerful yellow petals surround distinctive dark centers on these classic wildflower favorites. Black-eyed Susans bloom prolifically from midsummer through fall, brightening garden beds with minimal care requirements.
Unlike garden thieves, these native plants support local ecosystems by feeding pollinators and providing seeds for birds. Their deep root systems help them withstand drought while preventing soil erosion, making them both beautiful and environmentally beneficial additions to sunny garden spots.
16. Liatris
Fuzzy purple flower spikes that bloom from top to bottom (unlike most flowers) make liatris a unique vertical accent in garden beds. Also called blazing star, these native prairie plants stand tall without staking or support.
Instead of stealing from neighbors, liatris feeds the garden ecosystem with nectar for butterflies and seeds for birds. Their deep taproots make them extremely drought-tolerant once established, requiring little maintenance while providing weeks of distinctive purple blooms.
17. Penstemon
Bell-shaped blooms in shades from scarlet to purple to white dangle from slender stems on these native beauties. Hummingbirds find penstemon irresistible, hovering at the tubular flowers for their sweet nectar.
Far from parasitic, penstemons have adapted to thrive in challenging conditions without stealing from other plants. Many varieties remain evergreen through winter, providing year-round structure in garden beds while requiring minimal water and fertilizer to perform their flowering magic.