A Christmas Tradition: Stealing a Kiss Under the Mistletoe

Photographer: Patti WeeksSummary Author: Patti Weeks

Mistletoe is typically associated with the obligatory stolen kiss at Christmastime if someone is caught under one of its sprigs, yet the plant itself is a subtle thief. It's an evergreen obligate hemiparasite, drawing moisture and nourishment from its deciduous host tree through its own root system on the branches, and simultaneously benefiting from its own photosynthesis. The mistletoe genus Phoradendron translates to “thief of the tree.” There are at least 1,400 species of mistletoe, found on every continent except Antarctica, and it grows in dense clusters in over 100 different types of trees. Phoradendron leucarpum is native to the United States and Mexico, and is found in hardwood trees, such as oaks, poplars, maples, ashes and mesquite. The top photo of mistletoe clinging to an oak tree, was taken in Greenville, North Carolina on January 6, 2023. Although the tree appears to be dead, it returns to its full foliage in the spring, with the mistletoe still intact. Mistletoe can live up to 100 years, if the tree is healthy.

Unlike the deciduous holly with its recognizable red berries, the mistletoe has white berries. I was able to reach an unusually low bough in a different tree in Greenville on December 17, 2024, and create a classic sprig (bottom photo) to hang above a doorway in my house. The berries are a food source for birds, insects, and mammals. The sticky layer of goo inside the seed, called viscin, cements itself to the new host via a structure called haustorium, and is generally spread by birds’ feet, beaks or feathers—or by their droppings. (The name mistletoe is derived from the Germanic phrase, “dung on a twig.”) Mistletoe has gone through five separate stages of evolution, actually starting as a parasite on roots and “making the leap” to the branches, a method of overcoming the competition with other plants for water and sunlight.

The history and legends of mistletoe go back centuries, beginning with Greek wedding celebrations; as a symbol of peace to the Romans and Scandinavians; and as representation of vivacity and fertility to the Celtic Druids of the 1st century A.D. The Norse had a peculiar and convoluted myth about the mistletoe’s singular power. In England, the kissing-under-the-mistletoe tradition started in the 1800s among servants, but eventually extended to the middle classes. A young maiden refusing a kiss by a gentleman was viewed as bad luck. Which might you do this Christmas: steal—or resist—a kiss under the mistletoe?

 

Greenville, North Carolina Coordinates: 35.6127, -77.3664

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