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Spread Joy & Love (Mistletoe) -- Botany Blurbs
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Botany Blurbs
Mistletoe
also known as
Viscum Cruciatum
Did you know Mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant? It prefers woody trees and shrubs for hosts and draws the water and nutrients it needs to photosynthesize. The fruit is poisonous to humans, but birds are able to digest it and spread the seeds.
Despite it's parasitic nature, mistletoe has a wide variety of uses dating all the way back to Roman mythology. The Romans associated it with peace, love, and understanding. It was hung in Roman doorframes as a means of protection. As time passed, the Christians adopted this practice and hung mistletoe to protect homes from witches and demons. In the Middle Ages, it became a symbol for fertility and lovers were encouraged to kiss under the Mistletoe. In Victorian England, tradition stated that a man could kiss any woman standing under the Mistletoe. After each kiss, a berry would be plucked from the sprig, and the kissing must end when there are no berries left.