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During the holidays, I decided to write an article about the mistletoe plant. On our trip south, I knew that I would be able to take pictures of mistletoe. We headed south on the 30th of January, and, with our son doing the driving, I was able to scan the roadsides for mistletoe plants growing on tree branches.
The name of mistletoe comes from the old English word Misteltan, signifying twig and mistel from mist, which in old Dutch meant birdlime. Mistletoe means “birdlime twig” in reference to the fact that the berries have been used in making birdlime, a sticky substance used in catching birds. Birdlime was made in various ways, one of which was using the white berries of the mistletoe. It is believed that the phrase “sticky fingers” came from birdlime.
I also read that our word mistletoe came from two Anglo-Saxton words: mistel meaning dung and tan meaning twig, with mistletoe meaning “dung-on-a-twig”.
There are two kinds of mistletoe that grow in North America: one is the American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum, which is Greek and means “thief of tree”). The American mistletoe, which is commonly associated with our kissing custom, is found from New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas; however, it is much more prevalent in the south. The other mistletoe is the dwarf mistletoe.
Birds feeding upon the mistletoe are responsible for spreading the plant. The seeds are surrounded by a sticky film that helps the seeds stick to tree branches after the seeds pass through the birds. Many species of birds feed upon mistletoe and some even build their nests among the plants. The great purple hairstreak butterfly is the only butterfly in the United States that feeds upon the American mistletoe. This butterfly lays its eggs on the mistletoe, and after hatching, the caterpillars feed upon the plant.
The American mistletoe that grows here is very similar to the European mistletoe. Unlike a fungus that is flowerless and produces spores, mistletoe has true flowers and seeds. Mistletoe plants are either males, which produce pollen, or females, which produce berries. On a variety of deciduous trees (including oaks), mistletoe is semi parasitic, sending out root like structures into tree branches from which it steals water and nutrients. The tree that the mistletoe grows on is known as the host tree. Since mistletoe is a green plant containing chlorophyll and able to make its own food, the plant does not completely deplete the host tree. Mistletoe is a slow grower but very persistent. The plant usually dies when the host tree dies.
Mistletoe was held in great reverence by the Druids. While clad in white robes, the Druids searched for the sacred plant. After finding the plant, one of the Druids climbed the tree to gather the mistletoe, and with great ceremony, the mistletoe plant would be cut with a golden knife. The mistletoe was always cut at the beginning of the year during a particular cycle of the moon. If the mistletoe fell to the ground, it was considered an omen that some misfortune would befall the nation.
How mistletoe made the jump from a sacred plant to a holiday kissing tradition is somewhat of a mystery; however, by the 18th century, the mistletoe had become widely incorporated into Christmas celebrations. The kissing under the mistletoe tradition appears to have first started in England among the servants before spreading to the middle class. According to this custom the men were allowed to steal a kiss from any woman caught standing under the mistletoe. To refuse a kiss was viewed as bad luck. The original tradition was for a single berry to be plucked from the hanging mistletoe with each kiss, and when the berries were all gone the kissing stopped.
All parts of the mistletoe plant are poisonous, especially the white berries. Although an average adult would have to eat several berries before becoming sick, pets and children are more sensitive. So, be sure to keep mistletoe out of their reach.
I always marvel at Nature and the miraculous things occurring.