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Mistletoe-Head's up!!

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Contributed by: spencer porteous on 12/16/2007

Don't look now, but you're under the mistletoe.Chances are that if you are standing under a Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia), there's some mistletoe up there.

Everyone's heard of Mistletoe, especially this time of year, but have you every seen it growing in the wild? I'm willing to bet that you have without even knowing it. Next time you're out and about, take some time and look up. The mistletoe is very easy to spot at this time of year. The Laurel Oaks have dropped a majority of their leaves and are waiting for spring to flush back out again. They are relatively bare except for where the mistletoe has taken root. It looks like a giant green beachball of leaves out on the limbs of the tree.

Mistletoe is very interesting botanically because it is a partial parasite. As a parasitic plant, it grows on the tree's branches and actually sends out roots that penetrate into the tree's vascular system and take up nutrients. Mistletoe is also capable for growing on its own; like other plants it can produce its own food by photosynthesis.However, it is most commonly found growing as a parasitic plant.The mistletoe that is commonly used as a Christmas decoration (Phoradendron flavescens) is native to North America and grows on trees from New Jersey to Florida. Mistletoe was greatly venerated by the ancient Celts and Germans and used as a ceremonial plant by early Europeans. The early Greeksthought that it had mystical powers and down through the centuries it became associated with many folklore customs.

So the next time you're standing outside of the Vero Beach Public Library under the oaks, be careful. You might get a smooch from a savey gardener and there is not a darn thing you can do about it. That is, unless it's the Forth of July.

Spence

Spencer Porteous is a Certified Nursery Professional with fourteen years of experience in the Green Industry and owner of Everything Outdoors in Vero Beach, Florida.

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