Symbiosis is a partnership between two types of organisms. In the plant world there are three kinds of symbiotic relationships:
Mutualism- advantageous to both
Commensalism-benefits one partner without having much impact on the other
Parasitism-benefits one partner and harms the other
Plants, insects, and animals that have a symbiotic relationship are called cohorts.
I thought about this yesterday as I drove home from Durant and saw some Indian paintbrush alongside the roadway. Many people do not realize that Indian paintbrush is a hemiparasite and always grows near a “host” plant. It sends out special roots to steal nutrients from other plants such as Oxeye daisy, little bluestem grass, buffalo grass, or blue bonnets. That’s why most people are unsuccessful when they go out to the prairie, dig up the plant, and take it home. It dies before it can find a new host! I learned this lesson about ten years ago when I tried to do the same thing.
You can buy seeds and start them with host plants. Or you can buy plants from a nursery, but make sure they include a host plant. High Country Gardens sends fringed sage with theirs.
I started this post for my Caddo blog in order to discourage people from digging up Indian paintbrush. However, it occurred to me that this little tidbit of information from the plant world can help us out with our human relationships if we remember the definitions listed above. We should strive to have as many mutually beneficial relationships with people as possible, and few if any parasitic ones! J
Have a great day!