I saw so many beautiful ghostpipes today! They're my favorite flower.
The ghostpipe is a plant without chlorophyll. They are mycoheterotrophic, meaning they get their energy from underground fungal networks that in turn source their energy from nearby tree roots. Ghostpipes are a sign of rich soil and forest biodiversity. They can grow in darkness, but due to their interconnected nature they are seldom successfully propagated by humans.
I think a lot about what it means to be a living thing lacking one of the critical features required to be a member of their kingdom, yet still wholly belonging to it. A being that grows in darkness and yet thrives, all because of its membership within an intricate, highly-developed community of other diverse beings.
Ghostpipes cannot grow alone. You cannot keep one in a pot. The light from one person cannot sustain it.
Some things cannot be explained by what they lack.
Some are only understood by seeing what they are connected to.
