December 20, 2002 News Releases
Released 12/19/02
ASK A SPECIALIST:
WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT MISTLETOE?
During the holidays, we honor one of the most tenacious parasites
around as we buy mistletoe and drape it around our homes. There
is a great deal of folklore and myth surrounding mistletoe,
as well as information that is not widely known.
• Mistletoe was used in ancient wedding ceremonies to
confer fertility and life-giving power on newlyweds. In other
parts of the world it was considered a peace plant. Those who
were fighting stood under the mistletoe to resolve their conflict.
• The name mistletoe comes from the ancient belief that
the plant somehow spontaneously sprung to life from bird droppings
in the tops of trees. The word "mistel" is Anglo-Saxon
for dung, and the word "tan" means twig. Thus, mistletoe
could be translated to be "dung on a twig."
• Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that invades other plants,
robbing them of water and nutrients. It does this instead of
developing its own root system. Mistletoe attacks mostly deciduous
trees and is usually found in warmer climates. There are two
types that invade northern Utah, but they often go undetected.
• Unlike some truly parasitic plants that depend completely
on their host for survival, mistletoe can produce its own food.
It gets its water and nutrients from the host plant. Mistletoe
has a root-like structure called a haustoria. Instead of growing
into the soil, however, it penetrates through young, thin bark
into the water and nutrient-carrying tissue of its host. This
damages the host plant but is usually not fatal.
• Over a period of time, the haustoria grows several
feet through the plant, then sends up new sprouts. Mistletoe
produces flowers, although the blossoms are inconspicuous. The
flower leads to a small fruit that contains one seed. This plant
is usually propagated by the seed, which either falls or is
carried by birds or small animals to new branches and twigs
where it begins to grow. Since the seeds are sticky, they can
be transported on a bird's beak from one tree to another.
• The two native mistletoes in northern Utah are dwarf
varieties, not the leafy mistletoe we often use in Christmas
decorations. Fir dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium douglasii) is
a parasite to the native Douglas fir and can attack the sub-alpine
firs. Limber pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium cyanocarpum)
is not as common, but occasionally is seen on limber, bristlecone,
ponderosa and lodgepole pines.
• Dwarf mistletoe is not common, and since it blends
in so well with the host plant's foliage, it often goes undetected.
It is rarely found in landscapes and generally grows only in
our higher elevations. It is not considered a major pest in
northern Utah.
• Enjoy the Christmas holiday with all its traditions,
and be aware that if you sneak a peck under the mistletoe, you're
actually kissing under the parasite.
To see other "Ask A Specialist" columns, visit http//extension.usu.edu/publica/news/aska/
________
Dec. 19, 2002
Answer by Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension
horticulturist
utah
state today/archives/December
2002/archives
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