In winter, in the woods and mist-shrouded countryside, on the trunks and branches of now-bare deciduous trees, one sometimes sees, alas, increasingly rarely, bushy balls—tangles of greenish branches and leaves: these are the Mistletoe plants!
Photo by Bob Harvey, CC BY-SA 2.0
Mistletoe (Viscum album L. 1753) belongs to the Santalaceae family. It is a bushy evergreen plant that is epiphytic (it does not require soil to survive) and hemiparasitic, meaning it depends on host trees to grow. It prefers willows, poplars, apple trees, birches, limes, almond trees, and maples. It is sometimes found on Prunus but never on beech, plane, or walnut trees.
Photo by George Chernilevsky, Public Domain
It grows on the host plant with dichotomous branches measuring 30-100 cm. The leaves are yellowish-green, elongated oval in shape, with entire margins, and are opposite on the branch. It is a dioecious species, bearing inconspicuous, unisexual, yellow-orange flowers. Pollination occurs through insects, making it entomophilous.
The fruits are glossy, pearly-white or green, fleshy globular berries with seeds embedded in a gelatinous, sticky substance from which pania, a glue once used to catch birds, is extracted. Consequently, the adjective “viscous” refers to something or someone sticky that adheres strongly. The berries are harmless to animals but toxic and potentially lethal to humans if ingested in large quantities.
By Walther Otto Müller – List of Koehler Images
Public domain
Mistletoe is a fascinating plant! Despite having green leaves and branches, and therefore chlorophyll, which allows it to perform photosynthesis, it still relies on the water, nitrogen, and mineral salts of its host plant.
How is this possible?
Birds feed on mistletoe berries in winter, carrying and spreading them. The berries can lodge in the cracks of a host plant’s branch, where the seeds germinate, producing a penetration cone from which a small trunk and then the plant develop.
At the base of the mistletoe trunk, cords form that penetrate the host plant’s bark until they reach the conductive tissue, from which they extract the nutrients necessary for growth. Strangely, despite this, the host plant does not suffer any harm.
Photo by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay
Mistletoe has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times in the form of tinctures or infusions as an antihypertensive and anti-arteriosclerotic agent. It is currently being studied in alternative medicine for the treatment of certain types of cancer.
Its unique biology and healing properties have surrounded the plant with myth and mystery.
Mistletoe holds significant importance in Celtic and Norse mythology; from being a sacred plant and symbol of male fertility among the Celts to the “golden bough,” an essential token for Greek heroes to descend into Hades and appease the deities. Even the Cumaean Sibyl instructs Aeneas to carry the golden bough with him for his journey to the underworld in Book VI of Virgil’s Aeneid.
In ancient Rome, mistletoe symbolized peace, love, and understanding. For this reason, branches of mistletoe were hung at entrances to protect the home and its inhabitants.
The custom of kissing under the mistletoe to celebrate the winter solstice and the New Year originates from Scandinavia and the British Isles. This tradition was later adopted by the Christian world for Christmas. In the imagery of the time, mistletoe not only warded off witches and demons but also, because the plant remained attached to the tree year-round without ever falling and protected the home from fire and lightning, it symbolized everlasting bonds. Thus, a kiss under the mistletoe represented the hope of an everlasting love story.
The custom of kissing under the mistletoe was also very popular in late 18th-century England, especially among servants who perpetuated the tradition. At that time, a man could kiss any woman standing under the mistletoe, but any woman who refused the kiss would be struck with bad luck.
Mistletoe, holly, and butcher’s broom are now the Christmas plants of choice. Since Christmas is approaching, let’s hang a branch of mistletoe in our homes, perhaps at the entrance to welcome guests or in the kitchen where the family gathers. There, they can exchange a kiss and wish each other love, luck, and above all, peace.
Credits
Author: Anna Lacci is a science communicator and expert in environmental education, sustainability, and place-based teaching. She is the author of documentaries, nature books, workbooks, interdisciplinary teaching resources, and multimedia informational materials.
Translated by Maria Antonietta Sessa
