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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-twig”2. 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
ecosystems”3. 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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