Pastures and House Lawn

The Abundant Mistletoe

June 17, 2020 /
When the leaves on many trees here that aren’t in the live oak group deciduate in late Fall, another type of evergreen comes into prominence in their bare branches. One afternoon in mid-November I almost walked right into this clump (featured image) growing on the side of a bluejack oak on the East pasture – just in time for Christmas season. Taking a quick look at canopies on the rest of the property, we could see abundant mistletoe growing mostly in the empty branches of turkey oak. One specimen had a four foot diameter. and hung prominently bright green against the dull dark green winter backdrop from our morning coffee porch vantage point.

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that, although photosynthetic, fuses to and taps into the branch bark of trees to rob them of water and nutrients. This one is likely American mistletoe and though native, might be a problem weed in this region due to landscaping activity. It can be found from Florida to New Jersey. They spread by bird droppings and exploding berries ejecting sticky seeds. Mistletoe is poisonous and should not be consumed. It doesn’t outright kill trees and sometimes a host tree will fight it off, though more usually grow back. Mistletoe are left without a chair in a dying or dead tree and end up as thick black clumps among the branches. I see very few of these in the long-lived, sturdy live oak but the weaker, short-lived turkey and bluejack oak are in a permanent struggle with this parasite. We all know the old European tradition of “kissing under the mistletoe”, and it is sold as a Christmas decoration. Those who harvest it for market or tradition typically shoot it down from high limbs.
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James V. Freeman is an established visual artist (oil painting) with a deep interest in natural history, plants and farming. He has had numerous solo shows, a solo museum show, an upcoming museum show and his work has been featured in many publications to date. He currently has a studio in Williston, Fl at the family farm and homestead, "Cactus Island", and as a farmer, specializes in growing columnar cacti of the Caribbean and Gulf countries as well as the aquatic Madegascar Lace Plant. James and his mom Sharon manage and develop the permaculture homestead.

Cactus Island Nursery