Wound periderm is formed by Juniperus occidentalis and Calocedrus decurrens in resistance to infection by the dwarf mistletoe Arceuthobium campylopodum. The pattern of wound periderm formation suggests that chemical as well as mechanical factors are involved. The concentration of hydrolases in the radicular apex of the parasite suggests that they may facilitate the penetration process by which dwarf mistletoes infect their hosts. Emzymatic assistance may also provide a partial explanation for the specificity with which dwarf mistletoes are adapted to given hosts. These resistance responses by the the non-host species were compared with the normal infection process Pinus ponderosa.