Mistletoe Trivia

[Guest guest]

We all know about sneaking a kiss under that sprig of

mistletoe, but did you know mistletoe is actually a

parasite? Here are five fun facts about mistletoe you

can impress your friends with...or maybe not.

 

1. Mistletoe is a catchall term for the more than 1500

species of " mistletoe " growing around the world, most

of them growing in the tropics and belonging to an

entirely different plant family. The mistletoe of

American Christmas tradition is known as Phoradendron

spp., while the mistletoe of European Christmas

tradition is an entirely different genus, Viscum

album; however, both are members of the Viscaceae

plant family.

 

2. Mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic evergreen plant.

While it does contain some chlorophyll and can

photosynthesize some of its own nutrients, mistletoe

prefers to live off its host tree. In America,

mistletoe is considered an invasive species that

eventually kills its host. European mistletoe merely

weakens its host but does not kill it.

 

3. Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum) is the state

flower of Oklahoma.

 

4. The origin of the word mistletoe seems to refer to

the fact that mistletoe was observed as appearing on a

tree wherever a thrush (mistel or missel) left its

excrement on a branch or -toe. Mistletoe spreads

through birds eating and digesting the seeds, which

are then deposited on a tree branch where roots soon

begin to grow and burrow into the host.

 

5. The white berries of the American mistletoe are

extremely poisonous to people and pets but not to

birds. Many people know this, but many do not so it's

worth repeating. Oddly enough, the berries of the

European mistletoe are not poisonous at all and are

used medicinally.

 

Heleigh Bostwick, Making Gardens Greener

 

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