Hang Some Mistletoe in Your Home This Christmas
We've all heard of mistletoe, but how much do you really know about this holiday plant? The delicate beauty, which is known for decorating doorways during the holidays to promote love and affection to all, is actually a parasitic plant.
Yes, mistletoe grows by attaching itself to deciduous trees (those who drop their leaves in winter), such as maples and pecans. They absorb the water and nutrients from the host plant, and their evergreen leaves provide some nutrients through photosynthesis.
They are spread by birds that eat the pretty white berries, which are sticky, and they spit out the seeds or pass them as waste, which sticks to branches and starts a new plant. The picture above shows what mistletoe looks like living in a tree.
Christmas Eve at Mr Wardle’s, by H. Browne
An interesting tidbit about “kissing under the mistletoe” is that there was once a convention for the tradition. The proper etiquette was for the man to pick a berry once he kissed a lady under the mistletoe. Once all of the berries were gone, the kissing was over.
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2 comments
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If you are in an area where mistletoe grows, it's important to keep an eye on it. Because it is parasitic, it can damage and even kill trees if present in too great a quantity.
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@Douglas Hunt No, I don't have any mistletoe growing here but a little part of me would like to have some. Just a little in one of the many massive oaks on my property line would be cool. I think they could take it. ;)
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