What’s the deal with mistletoe?

By Linda Cicoira

We’ve all seen mistletoe hanging around in doorways during the holidays.

Some people stand under the twigs hoping to get kissed, a custom that originated at least 500 years ago, while others avoid the areas where the evergreen shrub is erected with a vengeance.

There are more than 1,300 species of mistletoe worldwide. The American mistletoe and the European version have slightly different appearances from the others. Typically, the ones we see have broad leaves and clusters of more than 10 white sticky berries.

Kissing under the mistletoe dates back to traditions from Norse mythology, where a goddess made it a symbol of love after her son’s death, promising kisses to those who passed under it.

In Victorian England, servants kissed under the mistletoe for good luck. The custom was passed on to others, promising love and marriage, while incorporating even older ideas of peace and life.

Mistletoe was considered sacred by Druids and Romans for its ability to grow and bear fruit in winter, symbolizing fertility, vitality, and life. The Romans used it to reconcile with enemies during winter festivals, hanging it for peace.

The proper kissing tradition includes a gentleman plucking a berry with each kiss; once the berries are gone, the kissing stops. A refusal to kiss was said to signal bad luck for a woman, as it implied that she wouldn’t marry that year. Some believe it means the woman luckily escaped marriage or maybe even toxicity.

The primary active toxic compound found in American mistletoe can cause blurred vision, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, although these effects are rare. Mistletoe has been used historically in medicine to treat arthritis, high blood pressure, epilepsy, and infertility. But it should not be consumed. It’s considered poisonous to humans and pets.

A feature story on usgs.gov recently told how mistletoe provides essential food, cover, and nesting sites for birds, butterflies, and insects.

Mistletoe is also an important nectar and pollen plant for honeybees and other native bees, says Erik Erikson, of the USDA Bee Research Lab. He said, Mistletoe flowers often provide the first pollen available in the spring for hungry bees.

Researchers report that deer eat mistletoe during the winter when fresh foliage is rare. Squirrels and chipmunks are also fond of the plant.