Mistletoe, Friend or Foe? Holiday Cheer and Tree Health

 

The holiday custom of a kiss beneath the mistletoe comes to us from England. During the twelve days of Christmas, the English traditionally decked their halls with kissing boughs. Made of evergreens, apples and mistletoe, a kissing bough signified both goodwill, and romance. Anyone standing beneath the mistletoe surrendered a kiss. With each kiss, a mistletoe berry was picked, and when the berries were gone, kissing time was done.

The UC Integrated Pest Management site lists broadleaf mistletoe (Phoradendron macrophyllum) as an evergreen parasitic plant that grows on a number of landscape tree species in California. In the San Bernardino Mountains, mistletoe grows primarily on California back oak trees (Quercus kelloggii). Sometimes called a hemiparasite, mistletoe performs limited photosynthesis, but it relies mainly on the host plant for sustenance.

With its velvety green leaves and pearly, translucent berries, mistletoe has long been a curiosity. It is the source of many traditions. Both Native American and European healers have used the plant for its medicinal properties. For the Celtic Druids, mistletoe was a symbol of protection, and peace. In Norse folklore, it is associated with the god Balder, the son of Odin and Frigg, and a favorite of his parents. As the tale goes, Frigg foresaw her son's death in a dream. To protect him, she enlisted the help of every plant and animal on earth, but she forgot about poor mistletoe. When Loki, a trickster, learned of Frigg's error, he used a small twig of mistletoe to strike down the young god. The devastated parents wished to resurrect their son. With help from the goddess of the underworld, and many tears shed in his honor, Balder, the light-bearer eventually returned. With him he brought brighter days, and the first signs of spring. Mistletoe's translucent berries were said to symbolize the tears of the gods, reminding the people of the cyclical nature of life, from loss to renewal.

We know mistletoe is a symbol of holiday cheer, but is the parasitic plant harmful to trees? Mistletoe Warriors is a

volunteer group dedicated to educating Mountain residents about mistletoe and tree health. Founded in 2013 by Scott St. Seccombe, Lyn Dessau, the Arrowbear-based organization hosts both an info table at the Running Springs Framer's Market, and mistletoe removal events around the Mountains. Lyn Dessau explains that in times of drought, our stressed California black oak trees need help warding off mistletoe overgrowth. The green parasite can over-tax the host, thus weakening, and even killing the tree. Mistletoe Warriors invite volunteers to join in mistletoe removal events, and they teach participants about the biology of trees, mistletoe, and overall forest health. Events are posted on the Mistletoe Warriors Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mistletoewarriors/ and also at Mistletoe Warriors' official web site: http://barefut42.wixsite.com/mistletoewarriors.

For more information on mistletoe management, visit the University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources Integrated Pest Management Program (UC-IPM) page on mistletoe management: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7437.html

by Michele Martínez, Mountain Master Gardener