Mistletoe. We’ve all seen it in movies, on TV, and perhaps even at our own holiday parties, but how much do you really know about that seemingly oh-so-romantic little sprig? Well, our florists here at Belle Fiori feel it’s our job as Milwaukee’s distributer of festive foliage to educate you all about that gem of a conversation piece.
Mistletoe actually has quite the scandalous backstory. Linked to everything from witchcraft to sex, it’s a wonder this sassy little parasite has snuck its way into our holidays and maintained a positive reputation. (Seriously. Google it.) But we here at Belle Fiori found what we think is just the right amount of mistletoe education to make you still want to hang it up this year. Check out these fun facts in a short article from Larry West and feel free to expand your mistletoe knowledge further by doing a little research of your own!
Fun Facts About Mistletoe
Everyone knows about the power of mistletoe at Christmas, right? It makes holiday romance democratic by making everyone equally kissable—friends, strangers and distant cousins. Wander beneath a sprig of mistletoe at a holiday party, and like it or not you become fair game to anyone whose lips are within range.
But there is much more to mistletoe than kissing and holiday merriment. This year, don’t just fill up on eggnog as you linger near the mistletoe hoping that special someone you secretly adore will stroll by unawares or back up just another few steps.
Here are a few fun facts about mistletoe from the U.S. Geological Survey to help you pass the time and make the wait for your holiday kiss seem shorter:
- American mistletoe, the kind most often associated with kissing, is one of 1,300 species of mistletoe worldwide but one of only two that are native to the United States. The other is dwarf mistletoe.
- Twenty species of mistletoe are endangered, so be careful what you pluck from the forest for your next holiday party.
- Phoradendron, the scientific name for American mistletoe, means “thief of the tree” in Greek. Although not a true parasite in scientific terms, mistletoe comes close, sinking its roots into a host tree and leeching nutrients from the tree to supplement its own photosynthesis.
- Sadly, the translation of the word “mistletoe” itself isn’t very romantic. A few centuries back, some people apparently observed that mistletoe tended to take root where birds had left their droppings. “Mistal” is an Anglo-Saxon word that means “dung” and “tan” means “twig,” so mistletoe actually means “dung on a twig.”
- The growth of mistletoe had little to do with the bird droppings, and a lot to do with the birds themselves. Mistletoe seeds are extremely sticky and often latch onto birds’ beaks or feathers or the fur of other woodland creatures, hitchhiking to a likely host tree before dropping off and starting to germinate.
- The dwarf mistletoe doesn’t have to rely solely on hitchhiking to find a host tree. The seeds of the dwarf mistletoe can explode from ripe berries and shoot as far as 50 feet.
- Despite its parasitic tendencies, mistletoe has been a natural part of healthy forest ecosystems for millions of years.
- Mistletoe is toxic to people, but the berries and leaves provide high-protein food for many animals. Many bird species rely on mistletoe for food and nesting material. Butterflies lay their eggs on the plants and use the nectar as food. Mistletoe is also an important pollen and nectar plant for bees.
- If you’ve read through this list more than twice and still no kiss, maybe it’s time to head home and try again next year. Meanwhile, these fun facts will give you something to talk about as you wait for your next “free kiss” opportunity—at midnight on New Year’s Eve.