Sunday, January 3, 2021

Mistletoe... More Than Just Christmas Fun ©

 

A painting by Mary E. Eaton, from "Our State Flowers: The Floral Emblems Chosen by the Commonwealths", The National Geographic Magazine, XXXI (June 1917), p. 514, HERE.


A number of years ago, around Christmas, my wife and I were walking in the woods near Forestville, New York, when we saw some mistletoe growing high up in a tree.  That was the first time I had ever seen wild American mistletoe, Phoradendron serotinum, and the last time.  Now, usually when people think of mistletoe, they think of Christmas and kissing, but there is more to mistletoe than Christmas fun.

 

First of all, American mistletoe is not even in the same scientific genus as the European mistletoe, viscum album, but it was substituted for the European variety by late 18th and early 19th century Americans during the Christmas season for the popular kissing ritual.  Mistletoe got its name from the Anglo-Saxon word for dung, “mistel”, and their word for twig, “tan” and literally means “dung-on-a-twig2.  It got its name after the Anglo Saxons observed that mistletoe would begin to grow in the upper branches of trees where birds roosted and pooped. 

 

“Eastern Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum in North Texas”, by David R. Tribble, HERE.


American mistletoe looks like a one to three foot (31 to 90 centimeter) wide, evergreen leaved, small white berry bearing, ball of vine-like tendrils, hanging from the upper branches of a host tree.  American mistletoe grows as far north as New York State and from the Atlantic coast as far west as New Mexico.  While it can be found in New York State, it is more common in the southern states and can be seen hanging from the branches of many types of deciduous trees, such as oak, black walnut, red maple, cottonwood and 60 other types of trees. 

 

A range map of American mistletoe, from the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services, “Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C. Johnst. oak mistletoe”

 

American mistletoe’s scientific name, “phoradendron”, in Greek, literally means “thief of the tree”, which reflects that it is a parasite.  Mistletoe is actually only a partial parasite, because while it draws nutrients and water from the host tree, it also has chlorophyll and produces its own food.  Mistletoe berries have a sticky seed that hitchhikes to a new home on the beak or feather of a bird, or on the fur of a mammal.  Besides hitchhiking to its new home, mistletoe berries explode, flinging its sticky seeds up to 50 feet away!  Once a mistletoe seed lands on the branch of a host tree, it sends out roots that dig through the bark and start stealing the host tree’s water, nutrients, food, and minerals.

 

“Eastern Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum in Northeast Texas”, by David R. Tribble, HERE.


In the past many arborists thought that mistletoe was a destructive plant, since it can weaken the host tree, leading to its premature death.  Today, according to USGS researcher Todd Esque, mistletoe “should be viewed as a natural component of healthy forest ecosystems3.  Especially since many birds, bees, butterflies, and mammals eat mistletoe berries, leaves, pollen or nectar, or nest in the dense leafy masses of mistletoe, called “witches’ brooms”.  Birds that eat American mistletoe are grouse, mourning doves, bluebirds, evening grosbeaks, robins, and pigeons, among others.  The berries and leaves of mistletoe are a high protein, high carbohydrate food, with ten essential amino acids, and are eaten by elk, cattle, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and porcupines.

 

American mistletoe is generally considered to be poisonous to humans, although its poisonous reputation is likely a case of guilt by association, since it has the same common name as the European variety of mistletoe, which is poisonous.  Recent studies have shown that American mistletoe is likely to cause gastrointestinal upset, but not serious poisoning, if only small amounts of the leaves or berries are consumed4.  All of that being said, keep mistletoe away from children and pets, just to be safe, and have fun kissing under the mistletoe.

 

“Eastern Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum in Northeast Texas”, by David R. Tribble, HERE.


I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at Bandanaman Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

1 American mistletoe is also called either Phoradendron serotinum, Phoradendron leucarpum, or Phoradendron flavescens – all three scientific names are used for the same species.

 

From “American Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum Phoradendron serotinum var. serotinum) Infection In Trees”, by Dr. Kim D. Coder, Professor of Tree Health Care.

 

2 U.S. Department of the Interior, “Not Just for Kissing: Mistletoe and Birds, Bees, and Other Beasts”

 

3 Ibid.

 

4 Mary Elizabeth May, RN, BA, MPH; “Is Mistletoe Poisonous?  Your Holiday Question Answered”

 

Sources

 

Coder, Dr. Kim D.; “American Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum Phoradendron serotinum var. serotinum) Infection In Trees”, September 2008, WSFNR08-25, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, https://web.archive.org/web/20110709113036/http://www.forestry.uga.edu/outreach/pubs/pdf/forestry/mistletoe%20monograph%20pub%2008-25.pdf, accessed December 27, 2020

 

May, Mary Elizabeth, RN, BA, MPH; “Is Mistletoe Poisonous?  Your Holiday Question Answered”, [© 2012- 2020 NCPC], https://www.poison.org/articles/2015-dec/mistletoe, accessed December 26, 2020

 

Rising, Gerry; “All You Need To Know About Mistletoe”, December 20, 1999; Buffalo News, https://buffalonews.com/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-mistletoe/article_329aa104-c9d1-509d-80d0-9f781a4b45f4.html, accessed December 26, 2020

 

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services, “Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C. Johnst. oak mistletoe”, https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PHLE14, accessed December 26, 2020

 

United States Department of the Interior, “Not Just for Kissing: Mistletoe and Birds, Bees, and Other Beasts”, December 7, 2015, https://www.usgs.gov/news/not-just-kissing-mistletoe-and-birds-bees-and-other-beasts#:~:text=Two%20growth%20forms%20of%20mistletoes,Florida%20and%20west%20through%20Texas, accessed December 26, 2020

 

Wikimedia, a painting by Mary E. Eaton, from "Our State Flowers: The Floral Emblems Chosen by the Commonwealths", The National Geographic Magazine, XXXI (June 1917), p. 514, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/American_Mistletoe_%28NGM_XXXI_p514%29.jpg, accessed December 26, 2020

 

Wikimedia, “Eastern Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum in North Texas”, by David R. Tribble, October 1, 2011, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Mistletoe-0854.jpg/800px-Mistletoe-0854.jpg, accessed December 26, 2020

 

Wikimedia, “Eastern Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum in Northeast Texas”, by David R. Tribble, March 1, 2012, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mistletoe-3428.jpg, accessed December 26, 2020

 

Wikimedia, “Eastern Mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum in Northeast Texas”, by David R. Tribble, March 1, 2012, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mistletoe-3426.jpg, accessed December 26, 2020

 

Wikipedia, “Phoradendron leucarpum”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoradendron_leucarpum, accessed December 26, 2020

 

 

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