Kissing Under a Parasite -- It's the Berries

Newswise — Sure, go ahead, stand underneath that mistletoe and lay one on her "¦ or him. Just don't get carried away and eat the berries, advises wildflower author and mistletoe expert Dr. Tom Hemmerly, biology professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

"American mistletoe is not a deadly poison, but some cases of illness have been rep orted due to ingestion of the berries," Hemmerly says. "For safety sake, mistletoe should be kept out of the reach of small children."

Mistletoe is a partial parasite, extracting water and minerals from the Host, he notes. The species found in the eastern United States doesn't kill. However, in the West, there are species that are a serious economic threat to evergreens, spruce, and other softwood trees.

Its beauty is alluring to be sure. Mistletoe is one of the few plants that remains green in the winter while flaunting its contrasting white berries, Hemmerly points out.

Christmas stories about mistletoe are based on legends of the European mistletoe, a different species, he says. For example, Druids in England attributed magical properties to mistletoe. They brought it indoors as part of their winter festival. Still today, English revelers who find mistletoe in oak trees hold it in higher esteem than that which is found in other trees.

"It's not easy to harvest," Hemmerly says. "Seekers of the evergree n plant have been to known to shoot it out of the trees with rifles or shotguns."

Mistletoe can be found as far north as central Ohio and Pennsylvania, he notes. Mistletoe is more plentiful and larger in size the farther south one travels. A hard freeze w ill kill the plant back to the host's branch, and it may take eight to ten years to grow back, he points out.

Hemmerly is the author of "Wildflowers of the Central South," "Appalachian Wildflowers," and "Ozark Wildflowers."