Aetanthus mutisii

Native only to Colombia, this woody mistletoe shrub grows on other plants in high Andean forests and páramo vegetation, between about 8,200 and 13,100 feet. It makes its own food through photosynthesis while drawing water and minerals from its host. The long, hanging red flowers can reach about 8.5 inches and open at their tips, where six narrow lobes curl backward. Nectar collects near the exposed anthers, allowing even short-billed hummingbirds to feed and pick up pollen. Photographed in the eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia.