The name Epifagus derives from Greek "epi" meaning "on" or "upon", and "Fagus" which is the genus name of beech.

[2] It entirely lacks chlorophyll and produces many brown stems up to 30 cm tall on which it bears small white and purple flowers that appear in July through October.

[5] Beechdrops contain very small alternate, scale like leaves, which are a vestigial structure from an ancestor which was photosynthetic.

[6] Epifagus virginiana, also known as beechdrops, is an obligate parasite to Fagus grandifolia, beech trees.

[8] The parasite develops a haustorium that grows into beech roots to draw nutrients from its host, as beechdrops does not photosynthesize.

Epifagus virginiana germinates when a chemical signal is released from the beech tree’s roots.

During early stages of development, beechdrops lives independently from its host, instead relying on nutrients from the seed.

[9] Epifagus virginiana’s host environment is mainly temperate forests in northeastern North America, including the midwest of the U.S., and Canada.