Christmas Need to Know: Mistletoe - Why Are We Kissing Under This Plant? And Where Can I Find More of Them?

As the days shorten and the nights keep us in the dark a little longer, the kid inside us all knows that the holiday of holidays, Christmas, isn't too far away. Just a short jaunt over the river and through the woods... if you will. It's the one holiday that overflows with symbolism, stories, tradition, family, and fun. One symbol in particular will be the focus of these words that follow: Mistletoe.

Ah Mistletoe, a holiday favorite of kissing bandits and lovers of the lip lock, not to mention the faction of shy males out there that need a little help in getting the sparks flying with all those bashful Betty's out there. Doorways across the country will be adorned with this peculiar plant and much merriment will be made underneath it. But what the heck is it anyway, you ask? Well step away from the eggnog and let's learn shall we..?

So let's start by getting all the scientific stuff out of the way first and then we can move on to the juicer aspects of the plant. Mistletoe or as it's known to botanists and Jeopardy Champions, Phoradendron flavescens, is part of the Loranthaceae family. Now for all the fanfare and romance that surrounds Mistletoe, it's actually not a very nice person as far as the trees are concerned. For you see, Mistletoe grows above ground in the tree tops and is actually a parasite (gasp!) yes that's right, a parasite. But to be fair, it's only a half-parasite or in science-speak, hemiparasitical. It derives nutrients from the tree but also is capable of photosynthesis to help it grow and thrive.

Here's how it works: Hungry birds swoop down on their lunch break to their chosen tree where Mistletoe is growing for a bite to eat. Those juicy white berries the plant produces are a tasty treat for our feathered friends. After the meal, the birds hang out, chit-chat, drink coffee, and eventually leave a little poo behind as a thank you to the tree (little known fact : birds are jerks). These droppings contain sticky seeds from the berries and adhere themselves to the branches. Within a few days a thread like root emerges and begins working its way into the bark of the tree. Six weeks later the Mistletoe starts growing and will flower in about five years time.

Now before you grab that bottle of herbicide and head into the forest to rescue the trees from these parasitic plants, you need to know that Mistletoe are more than parasites. They serve a crucial role in the life cycle of forests. Since Mistletoe grow in trees, they are not directly connected with the soil and therefore not at the mercy of the changing seasons. Mistletoe stays alive and green all year long thanks to the life line it has attached to the tree. Which means that there will be a constant source of food for birds and animals in need and the "leaf litter" that falls to the ground throughout the year is used by the underground microbial community to make soil.

Now if you'll step into my time machine we can go back in time, a time before we had the luxury of modern science, drive-thru cheeseburgers, and the Discovery Channel. Mistletoe is surrounded by myth and folklore, the more prominent stories have their origins in Scandinavian Celtic and Norse Mythology and others come from everyone's favorite cult, the Druids.

The tradition of kissing under mistletoe is commonly traced to the Scandinavian story of enemies at war who by chance, met underneath a tree containing the sacred 'plant of peace' Mistletoe, the warriors called a truce, embraced one another, and lay down their weapons until the following day.

The Druids were a bit more elaborate in their reverence for the plant of peace. As the stories go, when the Druids would happen upon Mistletoe growing in the mighty Oak tree, which is rare due to Mistletoe's affinity for softer trees, an elaborate ceremony was in order. Two white bulls were brought to the tree and a priest dressed in white would scale the tree with a golden sickle and proceed to cut the Mistletoe from the branches and place it in a white cloak. Laundry day must have been quite a chore with all this white, it'd be centuries before Clorox was invented...but I digress. After all the climbing and cutting was finished, then the human sacrifices would begin followed by prayer asking God to bless the Mistletoe. The Druids believed the plant held supernatural powers due to the fact it was the only plant that could thrive year round regardless of the season. They would use Mistletoe in potions and tonics claiming the plant could make sterile animals fertile again, be an antidote for any poison, and in rare cases turn Coke into Pepsi.

So as our calendars become thinner and the holiday season approaches I'm sure you feel enlightened and educated in the ways of Mistletoe, ready to wow the relatives at the Christmas Feast, and woo those who dare linger too long in doorways decorated with the mystical Mistletoe. Just don't forget the breath mints and chap-stick... Happy Holidays!