Living Flowers

Mistletoe – famous for stolen holiday kisses – is a parasite that steals water and nutrients from other plants

Mistletoe – famous for stolen holiday kisses – is a parasite that steals water and nutrients from other plants

A parasitic plant with potentially poisonous berries might not sound like something that would boost your Christmas decorations to the next level. But, botanically speaking, that’s what mistletoe is.

There are some 1,300 species of this evergreen plant worldwide. They’re all parasitic or semiparasitic, meaning they can survive only on a host plant. Rather than being rooted in the ground, they live on the branches of other trees and shrubs.

CREDIT the Source: Mistletoe – famous for stolen holiday kisses – is a parasite that steals water and nutrients from other plants