Maybe second solely to Christmas timber, mistletoe is a botanical vacation icon. However, in botanical phrases, it’s not really one plant however a standard title utilized to a gaggle of parasitic crops.
Be taught extra about these crops and the place they arrive from on this data from the Missouri Botanical Backyard’s Middle for Dwelling Gardening.
What’s mistletoe?
Mistletoe is a standard title utilized to a gaggle of evergreen, crops within the sandalwood household, Santalaceae. These crops are typically grouped collectively in their very own household, Viscaceae.
European mistletoe, Viscum album, is the quintessential plant of European folklore and Christmas traditions. Its kissing cousin, American mistletoe, Phoradendron leucarpum, is in a unique genus. But it surely shares lots of the similar bodily traits as its European relative and has crammed the identical cultural area of interest. It is usually the most typical mistletoe species in North America.
The place is mistletoe from?
European mistletoe is native to a large swath of Eurasia, from Europe into central and southern Asia. American mistletoe is native to temperate areas of North America together with elements of the japanese and southern United States and northern Mexico.
Do you know Missouri has mistletoe? Phoradendron leucarpum could be discovered within the Ozarks of southern Missouri the place it’s considerably uncommon.
How Does Mistletoe Develop?
Mistletoe crops are hemiparasite. This implies they require a number plant to amass water and mineral vitamins. They’re evergreen subshrubs that develop on the branches or stems of different woody crops, forming dense, rounded clumps as much as a number of toes throughout.
What Crops are hosts are for mistletoe?
Completely different species of mistletoe choose completely different hosts. For instance, European mistletoe has been recorded parasitizing on greater than 400 completely different species of woody crops. Nonetheless, it grows greatest on apple timber European lindens, poplars, hawthorns, and black locust. American mistletoe then again has a number vary of round 60 completely different tree species. Widespread hosts embrace maples, walnuts, oaks, elms, and tupelos.
What animals like mistletoe?
Mistletoe offers meals and shelter for a spread of animals.
In North America, crops within the genus Phoradendron together with American mistletoe are larval host crops for the good purple hairstreak butterfly. Pollinators together with small native bees, wasps, and flies go to the flowers for pollen and nectar. Birds reminiscent of cedar waxwings, robins, bluebirds, and chickadees and small mammals together with squirrels and chipmunks eat the berries and depend on them as an necessary meals supply in winter. Deer and elk will readily browse on the plant’s foliage within the winter, normally from fallen branches. Clumps of mistletoe are additionally used as nesting habitat for wrens, mourning doves, and squirrels.
How about People?
Freshly reduce branches of mistletoe are generally used to brighten indoors through the winter. They’ve traditionally been related to romance and vitality. Hanging a bough of mistletoe was mentioned to guard a home from lightning strikes or hearth.
Mistletoes have lengthy been used as a part of conventional medication practices, and in the present day energetic compounds produced by the crops are being studied for his or her means to deal with a spread of points together with complications, epilepsy, and even most cancers. Nonetheless, all elements of the plant are toxic and may trigger very severe unwanted effects, so speak to your physician earlier than beginning any natural remedy.
Potential Pest?
Whereas it a favourite for vacation decor, mistletoe could be problematic within the wild in sure conditions.
Most wholesome, mature timber can maintain a number of mistletoe crops. However for a tree that’s already weakened as a consequence of environmental stressors, insect pests, or illness, too many clumps parasitizing its branches may very well be detrimental. The fruits are additionally poisonous to people and pets if ingested in massive sufficient portions, so the place youngsters or critters play the plant could also be thought-about undesirable. Sadly, as soon as mistletoe has been established, it is vitally troublesome to regulate. Slicing the stems flush with the host tree will set the mistletoe again however not kill it. The one efficient management measure is to prune out infect branches. Timber which can be closely infested might should be eliminated fully.