In Focus – By CR Brown For all the romantics out there, opportunities abound for stealing a kiss from that special someone during the upcoming Holiday Season if this year’s growth of mistletoe is any indication. A leisurely drive through South-central Alabama will highlight the fact that mistletoe is alive and thriving in the Wiregrass.
The tree pictured above is infested with mistletoe and is located on Highway 29 north midway between Heath and Gantt Dam.
If you intend to harvest a bit of mistletoe for the Christmas Season, a casual walk in most any direction will put you well within range of Phoradendron leucarpum, which is Greek for “thief of the tree.” That is an apt description, since mistletoe is considered to be parasitic and is unable to survive and grow on its own. Instead, it requires a host tree from which to steal all of its nutrients; oaks, elms, poplars and apple trees, to name a few, serve that purpose well. Mistletoe has also been known to flourish in Pecan trees.
Mistletoe reproduces when a seed finds its way to a good host prospect. Upon sprouting, it attaches a bell-shaped root structure that grows into the tree, robbing it of its nutrients. Because it sometimes drains the host tree of its life juices, it occasionally is referred to as the “Vampire plant.”
While insects and bees pollinate mistletoe, birds actually disperse the seeds by eating mature fruits which are difficult to digest. Some unharmed seeds that pass through the bird’s digestive tract often end up lodged in crevices where they attach to the host tree.
Meanwhile, mistletoe berries usually ripen by November, changing from green to translucent or to a pearly white color. And, to be on the safe side, it would be wise to keep the ripening fruit out of reach of young children and pets since it can be poisonous if ingested.
The custom of kissing beneath a sprig or branch of mistletoe dates back several hundreds of years, by some accounts even to the 17th century and earlier. The act of stealing a kiss was never meant to get out of hand, of course, but often did. However, to prevent abuses of the custom, when a man stole a kiss under a hanging branch, a berry was pinched off and thrown away. When all the berries had been pinched off, the magic of the mistletoe was considered to be all used up.
It was also believed that mistletoe, when hung in the home, signified romance, happiness and even peace. In fact, it was the custom of the times for warring enemies to drop their weapons and embrace if a chance meeting should occur beneath the plant.
The tree pictured above is infested with mistletoe and is located on Highway 29 north midway between Heath and Gantt Dam.
If you intend to harvest a bit of mistletoe for the Christmas Season, a casual walk in most any direction will put you well within range of Phoradendron leucarpum, which is Greek for “thief of the tree.” That is an apt description, since mistletoe is considered to be parasitic and is unable to survive and grow on its own. Instead, it requires a host tree from which to steal all of its nutrients; oaks, elms, poplars and apple trees, to name a few, serve that purpose well. Mistletoe has also been known to flourish in Pecan trees.
Mistletoe reproduces when a seed finds its way to a good host prospect. Upon sprouting, it attaches a bell-shaped root structure that grows into the tree, robbing it of its nutrients. Because it sometimes drains the host tree of its life juices, it occasionally is referred to as the “Vampire plant.”While insects and bees pollinate mistletoe, birds actually disperse the seeds by eating mature fruits which are difficult to digest. Some unharmed seeds that pass through the bird’s digestive tract often end up lodged in crevices where they attach to the host tree.
Meanwhile, mistletoe berries usually ripen by November, changing from green to translucent or to a pearly white color. And, to be on the safe side, it would be wise to keep the ripening fruit out of reach of young children and pets since it can be poisonous if ingested.
The custom of kissing beneath a sprig or branch of mistletoe dates back several hundreds of years, by some accounts even to the 17th century and earlier. The act of stealing a kiss was never meant to get out of hand, of course, but often did. However, to prevent abuses of the custom, when a man stole a kiss under a hanging branch, a berry was pinched off and thrown away. When all the berries had been pinched off, the magic of the mistletoe was considered to be all used up.
It was also believed that mistletoe, when hung in the home, signified romance, happiness and even peace. In fact, it was the custom of the times for warring enemies to drop their weapons and embrace if a chance meeting should occur beneath the plant.
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