If this all makes mistletoe sound like a common plant criminal, keep reading. There is a positive ecological side of this parasite. When a plant prepares to go dormant for the winter season ...

But, botanically speaking, that’s what mistletoe is. There are some 1,300 species of this evergreen plant worldwide. They’re ...

Mistletoe is more than just a Yuletide kissing attraction; it plays a hugely important role in ecosystems. It is a parasitic plant—it takes water and nutrients from a host plant to survive—but ...

Mistletoe is a plant that often plays a role in Christmas decorations, but in nature, it’s a type of parasitic shrub. Mistletoe survives by digging its roots into a tree and siphoning nutrients ...

According to the Leaf & Limb website, mistletoe is a parasitic plant, "meaning that it needs a host tree or shrub in order to thrive." The website adds that mistletoe can cause tree branches to ...

But why is it a tradition to kiss underneath mistletoe? The plant, which is actually a parasite, has been used as a symbol of fertility for centuries, even dating back as far as the Celtic Druids ...

Mistletoe is more than just a Yuletide kissing attraction; it plays a hugely important role in ecosystems. It is a parasitic plant — it takes water and nutrients from a host plant to survive ...

That's because despite its Christmas reputation, mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant to over 1,300 tree species across the word. That includes 30 in North America, including oak, sugarberry ...

Mistletoe is a parasite that favors mesquite trees in San Antonio. The first question is, why does it favor mesquite as growing sites? The trees are not generous plant-juice producers or fast growers.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Sleigh bells ringing. Mommy kissing Santa Claus under a tree-killing parasitic plant. Mistletoe may be a festive and romantic Christmas tradition, but the plant ...

“Mistletoe is a hemiparasite – a semi-parasitic plant,” said Allison Watkins Schwarz, AgriLife Extension horticulturist for Tom Green County. “It makes its food from ...