Dodder is an annual seed-bearing parasitic vine in the dodder family. It’s thin, thread-like, yellow or orange stems grow rapidly, entwining and covering their host plants.

Dodder seeds germinate in soil and can live on their own for 5 to 10 days until they are about a foot tall. 

In temperate areas, Dodder is an annual that grows from seeds each growing season. After germination at or near the soil surface, the seedlings grow quickly toward a host plant, possibly in response to volatiles released by preferred host plants, coiling around any object it encounters.