It is a common plant of western North America where it lives in high elevation pine forests.

It is a parasitic plant which lives upon the Lodgepole Pine, particularly the subspecies Pinus contortus ssp.

This pine subspecies is most common in the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada.

The seeds mature in late summer and disperse to nearby trees.

[1] The parasitic plant is dioecious, meaning that it has separate male and female parts.