Woolly Lousewort: Parasite or Pollinator? | Anchorage News

A plant in Alaska’s tundra is flipping the script on parasitism: woolly lousewort, a hemiparasite that steals nutrients but still makes its own food, may actually be helping its neighbors. With eye-catching pink flowers, it draws pollinators that also visit nearby berry bushes and other plants—potentially boosting their fruit production. Researcher Jonathan Carcache is testing this theory by hand-pollinating arctic white heather and counting seeds to see if the lousewort’s presence leads to more berries. His work reveals nature’s surprising alliances—and reminds us that “parasite” isn’t always a dirty word.

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