Following chemical cluesSourced
A parasitic vine grows towards its host’s airborne chemicals
Dodder vines attach to other plants to obtain water and nutrients. A study reported in 2006 found that seedlings of Cuscuta pentagona grew towards airborne compounds from tomato plants. Given compounds from a suitable tomato host or non-host wheat, they grew towards the tomato cues.
A plant’s growth direction can respond to chemical clues around it.
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Cuscuta · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-10