Mistletoe grows in the crowns of numerous trees, how they get there is a mystery to some. At Christmas time, mistletoe is available for purchase and well paid for. So is mistletoe a parasite or a lucrative ornamental plant?
Mistletoe can also be sown by hand
Are there different mistletoes?
There are several hundred species of mistletoe that live as semi-parasites on different trees. They can be roughly divided into three subspecies, and their names provide information about the host trees: pine or pine mistletoe (bot. Viscum laxum), fir mistletoe (bot. Viscum abietis) and hardwood mistletoe (bot. Viscum album), the most common type.
How is mistletoe grown?
To multiply mistletoe in a targeted manner, you only need a few berries from which you take the sticky seeds. You then simply “stick” this into the branch fork of a tree, pressing firmly is sufficient. It is only important that you select a suitable host tree. For the deciduous mistletoe, these are apple trees, lime trees, hornbeams, alders and poplars.
Then you just need a lot of patience. Only after one to two years does a bulge in the "vaccinated" branch fork show that mistletoe wants to grow here. A few more years will pass before the first flowers. Incidentally, mistletoe is considered slightly poisonous, but the berries are non-toxic. However, consumption is strongly discouraged, as the berries easily get stuck in the throat.
Where can I get mistletoe berries from?
Mistletoe is not under nature protection and may also be collected in nature. However, since they grow high up in the trees, they are not so easy to reach. The berries of mistletoe, which hang over the door frame for Christmas decorations, are also suitable for propagation.
The essentials in brief:
- Propagation or distribution usually by birds
- Targeted propagation possible with little effort
- rely on the right host tree depending on the species
- Particularly suitable host trees for deciduous mistletoe: apple tree, lime tree, hornbeam, alder and poplar
- slower growth of the host tree
- very tedious, takes a few years until the first flowering
tips
If you want to grow mistletoe in your apple trees, then keep in mind that the yield of these trees will decrease.