Sugar Pine Dwarf-Mistletoe

Arceuthobium californicum is a species of dwarf mistletoe commonly known as sugar pine dwarf mistletoe. It is a small shrub endemic to California that parasitizes the sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana). Although detrimental to the health of its host, it is ecologically important as a food source for wildlife and because the witch's brooms that it sometimes induces on host trees provide valuable habitat for birds and small rodents.