Countdown to Christmas: 8
How does your mistletoe grow?
Many people decorate their houses with mistletoe at Christmas time and it provides a good excuse for a cheeky kiss. But do you know how much this festive evergreen relies on bird poo?
Unlike money, mistletoe grows on trees. It 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. Although mistletoe is poisonous for humans, it doesn't kill the trees that it grows on and doesn't harm them if it's managed properly.
But how does mistletoe get up into tree branches to start growing in the first place?
Pooh sticks
Well, a clue is in the name. The word mistletoe comes from the Anglo-Saxon words mistel (meaning dung) and tan (meaning stick). Blackcaps and mistle thrushes eat the berries then perch on tree branches and – ahem – 'deposit' the seeds.
So how much do you really know about mistletoe? Here are some interesting facts.
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