since 18 yearsth One of the sweetest Christmas traditions of the century is the kiss stolen under the mistletoe. An ancient Celtic ritual based on mistletoe’s elixir for fertility treatment seems likely to be the origin of the connection between mistletoe and love and romance. But be careful… There are also many reasons to carefully manage this mischievous plant.
Essentially all mistletoe grows as a parasitic branching structure in the canopy of trees and shrubs. About 1,300 species of mistletoe have been designated in the world. The University of California IPM website (University of California Integrated Pest Management Program) advises that a healthy tree can tolerate mistletoe on a few branches. However, “if the infestation is severe, trees can weaken, stunt growth, die off branches, or die completely.
In California, mistletoe is identified as either broadleaf or dwarf. Although closely related, there are differences in the life cycle and damage inflicted on the host.All mistletoe belongs to the sandalwood family santalaceaeHardwood mistletoe is Foradendron (Greek for “wood thief”) and viscosity; dwarf mistletoe belongs to ArceutoviumRace. Identification of mistletoe species is necessary to control injury and administer treatment. Broadleaf mistletoe can infest a wide variety of hardwood trees, including alder, flowering pear, ash, birch, cottonwood, cottonwood, locust, silver maple, walnut, and zelkova. Conifers suffer less from hardwood mistletoe, but are more susceptible to attack by dwarven mistletoe.
Let’s take a closer look at hardwood mistletoe. Sometimes called leafy mistletoe, this plant has thick oval leaves and green stems. The plant can grow in shrub-like clusters up to 2 feet in diameter and is deciduous and easily observed in winter.of Foradendron The seeds have hairy leaves, viscosity Leaves are smooth. This is where the hardwood mistletoe lifestyle and shape becomes interesting. They are actually “half-parasites”. This means that it can carry out photosynthesis on its own, but is dependent on its host for water and nutrients.
In California, female hardwood mistletoe produces small white sticky berries from October to December. Birds, especially cedar jacks and robins, are very attracted to these berries. The sticky, excreted live seeds cling tightly to the branches on which they land. Severe hardwood mistletoe infestation can occur when birds spend significant time on individual trees. Depending on the degree of infestation, mistletoe plants are usually slow-growing and can take many years to flower and produce seeds. , plant-resistant tree species: Bradford flowering pear, Chinese pistache, crape myrtle, eucalyptus, ginkgo biloba, golden rain tree, liquidumbar, sycamore, pepper tree, bigleaf maple.
If you look closely at dwarf mistletoe, they are smaller plants than broadleaf mistletoe, less than 6 to 8 inches long. The leaves are small, pale yellow-green, sometimes tan to reddish, and can be difficult to spot. These seeds can travel up to 50 feet. (Researchers claim that when the ripe fruit is placed in a paper bag and shaken, it sounds like popping corn.) Unlike partially parasitic (hemiparasitic) hardwood mistletoe, dwarf mistletoe is a true are parasites of the plant and extract all nutrients from their host plant.
Some mistletoe can be tolerated on a healthy tree, but it is important to remove the mistletoe before the plant begins to produce seeds and migrate to other tree branches. It is the recommended most effective control method (http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7437.html)By using thinnings, infected branches should be cut back at least a foot below the point where the mistletoe attaches. Mistletoe will grow again, but broadleaf mistletoe takes several years to bloom and come back.Many foresters are dwarfing his mistletoe to reduce the growth rate of commercially important coniferous species. I see it as a “disease” that causes But ecologists point out that mistletoe is not a “disease,” but a native plant that has existed for thousands or millions of years.
In addition, ecologists believe that mistletoe is an important part of a healthy ecosystem because it is an excellent food source for birds. Birds also build nests in dense foliage. Birds of prey use thick clumps of mistletoe twigs (called “witch’s brooms” by Native Americans) to build their nests. These cleverly camouflaged nests protect against predators such as the great horned owl. There are butterfly species that rely entirely on mistletoe for survival. Additionally, mistletoe is an important source of nectar and pollen for bees and other native honeybees. Many insects feed on mistletoe shoots, berries and seeds. Mistletoe is toxic to humans, but mistletoe provides a high-protein diet for many mammals. Animals such as elk, cattle, and deer forage for mistletoe in winter when food is scarce.
Mistletoe medicinal products are marketed in many European countries to treat several medical conditions. It is also popular as a tea drink. It is marketed in the United States by herbal suppliers but is not FDA approved.
A personal holiday footnote seems appropriate to this mistletoe discussion. A few years ago, while traveling in Croatia, I came across the Croatian mistletoe brandy “Bisca”. A popular brewer reassured me that mistletoe (at least the amount found in brandy) is “poisonous,” but not dangerously so. And with all the herbs added, it was definitely delicious. She and her wise and adventurous senior friends of over 90 years Merry Her Christmas Her Visca Her Mistletoe I was enjoying myself. They seem to have truly understood the “mischief and magic” of mistletoe.