Aims Hemiparasitic plants often produce nutrient-rich litter with high decomposition rates, and thus can enhance nutrient availability. When plant species species have differential affinites for this nutrient source, hemiparasitic litter might influence species composition in addition to the parasitic suppression of host species. We examined N release from the litter, N uptake by the vegetation 2, 4 and 12 months after litter addition and differences in the proporation of N taken up from the litter(NL) between co-occuring species. Results The percentage of N in shoots of co-occuring plant species that is derived from the added hemiparasitic litter(NL) strongly differed between the species(0.1-6.2;). After exclution of species with an alternative N source(legumes as well as ectomycorrhizal and ericoid mycorrhizal species), NL was positively related (p<0.001) with specific leaf area(SLA)and at Pedicularis sites with leaf N concentration (LNC) and leaf phosphorus concentration(LNC)(p,0.05), i.e. leaf traits associated with a fast growth strategy and adaptation to high-nutrient environments.Conclutions our results suggest that nutrient relese from hemiparasitic litter favors plant species with a fast-growth strategy adapted to high-nutrient environments compared to species with a slow-growth strategy. Whether continued hemiparasitic litter inputs are able to change species composition in the long term requires further research.