Unlike money, mistletoe grows on trees. Unlike kissing your money goodbye, a kiss under the mistletoe can be something special.

Mistletoe  is a parasite, living off the nutrients and water in the tree that it grows on. You can find mistletoe growing on the branches of hawthorns, apple trees, poplars, limes and conifers.’ read more from the RSPB to find out about the role of birds and the life cycle of misteltoe.

Oh and good luck with the kissing.

Tips for Growing Mistletoe

• Use – pure white or yellow berries not unripe green ones.
• If the berries have been used in the house through Christmas they may have dried out. If you have no other fresh ones soak the berries in tepid water.
• Using the berries’ own sticky juice attach several to the underside of a branch. Only inoculate 1-3 branches of each tree. The parasitic effect will sap   energy from the tree.
• The ideal hosts has bark thin enough for the germinating seeds to penetrate but strong enough to support the new plant. A 6-12″ diameter branch should work and a new leaf should be formed by next spring.
• Host plants include apple, hawthorn, oak, lime, willow, crab apples,  ash,  plum, rowan and even unkempt climbing  roses.
• Male and female flowers  form on different plants, one for berries and one for pollen.
• New plants may  take 4-5 years to produce berries.

Traditions and Mistletoe

• As a pagan symbol of fertility mistletoe is found in many european traditions.
• Images of mistletoe feature on this website devoted to mistletoe.
• Ancient Greeks believed mistletoe was a cure for poisons.
• Mistletoe is also used in some complimentary or homeopathic medicine.