The American mistletoe, the one used at Christmas in the U.S., is in the genus Phoradendron, which indicates “burglar of the tree” in Greek. These invading structures can live for many years inside a tree even if the mistletoe plant itself is gotten rid of.
Even then the tree doesnt usually die from the mistletoe; most frequently death is an indirect effect of attacks from diseases or pests that take benefit of the stressed tree.
Twelve types of the American mistletoe can be discovered dispersed largely throughout the southern half of the U.S., primarily affecting deciduous trees in the East as well as some evergreens in the West. Sixteen species of the leafless dwarf mistletoe contaminate just trees in the pine household and are primarily found along the West Coast.
Hanging mistletoe is a Christmas tradition.
A parasitic plant with potentially toxic berries might not sound like something that would increase your Christmas decorations to the next level. Botanically speaking, thats what mistletoe is.
There are some 1,300 types of this evergreen plant worldwide. Theyre all semiparasitic or parasitic, meaning they can make it through just on a host plant. Rather than being rooted in the ground, they reside on the branches of other trees and shrubs.
Simply two types are native to North America. Twelve species of the American mistletoe can be found distributed mainly throughout the southern half of the U.S., mainly impacting deciduous trees in the East in addition to some evergreens in the West. Sixteen species of the leafless dwarf mistletoe infect only trees in the pine household and are mostly found along the West Coast.
American mistletoes genus Phoradendron suggests thief of trees in Greek. Credit: Joe Decruyenaere/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
The American mistletoe, the one utilized at Christmas in the U.S., is in the genus Phoradendron, which implies “thief of the tree” in Greek. These getting into structures can live for many years inside a tree even if the mistletoe plant itself is gotten rid of.
Mistletoes are what botanists call dioecious, suggesting these plants have different male and female variations. The women produce the fruits, called berries, which are typically white, however can be reddish or pink depending upon the species. Birds extensively distribute the seeds after eating the berries. Seeds of some species can likewise be shot out of the fruit like a cannonball at up to 60 miles per hour (100 kph) to a distance as far as 50 feet (15 meters). A sticky substance on the seeds helps them attach to any tree they land on up until they begin and sprout to grow.
Water pressure develops inside a dwarf mistletoe berry as it ripens. When the berry bursts, the explosion potentially moves the sticky seed to a brand-new house. Credit: Frank Hawksworth/ U.S. Forest Service, USDA
In general, mistletoe wont kill a tree unless it is greatly infested. Even then the tree doesnt normally pass away from the mistletoe; most typically death is an indirect result of attacks from diseases or pests that take advantage of the stressed tree. Mistletoes parasitic methods can cause considerable financial damage to forests industrially collected for lumber.
For a house owner, though, its usually not necessary to manage mistletoe– which is great, because eliminating it can be difficult and takes perseverance and determination. You can prune it out, making sure to get all those spreading haustoria under the hosts bark, or attempt chemical controls like the plant development regulator ethephon.
Perhaps youll wish to cut a sprig to embellish with during Christmastime. Among the most typical traditions associated with mistletoe, going back a minimum of to the 1700s, is that anybody lingering beneath it would invite a holiday kiss. Here in my house state of Oklahoma, mistletoe is our state flower emblem, apparently due to the fact that it was the only greenery available to place on tombs throughout the particularly tough winter of 1889. In other parts of the world, mistletoe is considered to bestow life and fertility, serve as a peace offering and secure versus poison.
Clumps of mistletoe, informally understood as witches brooms, in trees.
About toxin: Mistletoe has a track record as a dangerous plant. While the European species Viscum album is apparently poisonous, American mistletoe is not lethal. Better to keep it far from little kids and family pets, however, and if you are concerned, stick to synthetic mistletoe for ornamental functions.
Lots of birds rely on mistletoe berries as a food source, as do elk, deer, squirrels, chipmunks and even porcupines, which will likewise consume the leaves when other fresh foliage is limited. Twisted clumps of mistletoe, generally referred to as witches brooms, supply nesting sites for birds, including spotted owls and Coopers hawks, and other animals.
This parasitic plant plays a valuable function in both communities and human traditions. If it grows near you, enjoy it since you most likely would not be able to entirely get rid of it anyway. And at Christmastime, it simply may come in useful.
Written by David Hillock, Associate Extension Specialist Horticulture & & Landscape Architecture, Oklahoma State University.
This article was first released in The Conversation.