How to harvest mistletoe for Christmas? And is mistletoe actually poisonous? We answer six exciting questions about mistletoe.
An ancient custom says that two people standing under a mistletoe should kiss. But the mistletoe not only serves as an icebreaker and oracle for singles looking for it. It was also believed in the past that it kept evil spirits and fire away from houses. Mistletoe was also part of Druidic healing potions. In any case, a sprig of mistletoe brings luck at Christmas and of course serves as a protector for lovers. Here you can find out whether the slightly poisonous mistletoe can become a problem in trees, how to harvest it, what symbolism makes the mistletoe so special and whether it can also be used therapeutically or medicinally.
By the way: Our native white berry mistletoe (Viscum album subsp. album) is a semi-parasite. It carries out photosynthesis itself with its green leaves, but extracts water and nutrients from the host plant via sucking organs - the haustoria.
1. Is mistletoe poisonous?
Mistletoe is slightly poisonous and if consumed in excess, it may cause discomfort in the form of abdominal pain, diarrhea, low heart rate and reduced blood pressure. Nevertheless, the way to the doctor is almost never necessary. Pregnant women are advised to avoid mistletoe and medicines made from mistletoe.
All green parts of mistletoe are considered to be slightly toxic for us, mainly because of the viscotoxins they contain. Accidental consumption can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, decreased heart rate, and lowered blood pressure. However, a critical dose for mistletoe is not known. The juice of the mistletoe leaves and stems can also irritate the skin and mucous membranes. Even if the berries have been eaten, you should drink a lot as a precaution, but further measures are usually superfluous. In processed form, mistletoe is even used as an effective medicine. However, they should be avoided in any form by pregnant women, as some of their ingredients can apparently migrate to the placenta and the effects of this are still unknown. wehave compiled elsewhere for you which plants expectant mothers should avoid.
For birds, on the other hand, mistletoe is anything but poisonous. During the barren winter months, the white mistletoe berries provide an important source of food for our resident birds.
2. Mistletoe as a remedy, Christmas tradition and miracle plantThe mistletoe has a rich symbolism in various past and existing cultures, which it probably owes to its unusual way of life on trees, the flowering period in winter and the evergreen leaves. It stands for life, is considered sacred and a universal medicinal plant. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from England. The connection to Christian Christmas was probably taken over by pagan customs.
Mistletoe had already accumulated a veritable treasure trove of symbolic meanings in ancient Greece. The hero Aeneas uses the branch of the oak mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus) to open the gate to the realm of the dead. Consequently, mistletoe is mythologically considered the victor over death. Precisely because it is one of the few plants that are green, even flowering and fruiting in winter, it symbolizes life.
In the Norse mythology, in the Edda, mistletoe also plays an important role: mistletoe was made with an arrow Frigga's son Baldur fatally hit. Frigga had made all beings promise not to hurt Baldur, but forgot the mistletoe, which the mad god Loki took advantage of. Out of anger, Frigga subsequently forbade mistletoe from ever touching the ground again, so that she had to move to dizzy heights.
For the Celts, mistletoe was a magical panacea that could only be cut out of the trees with a gold sickle and caught with the left hand. In addition, it should protect against fire, disease and spirits, make you fertile and especially help with children's diseases.
The custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from England and says that two people standing under a mistletoe must kiss as often as the man involved plucks a berry from the bush.
The romantic symbolism of the mistletoe is also very popular in Germany. If a couple kisses under a mistletoe, their love should last forever. But be careful! This magical power of mistletoe should only unfold when the sacred greenery has been brought to the couple by a third party as a gift.Incidentally, sealed love does not have to be of a romantic nature: mistletoe is also said to strengthen friendships. And a Scandinavian belief in the plant's sacredness caused two warriors to call a truce in its presence.
But what does mistletoe have to do with Christmas? The connection to the Christian festival was inherited from ancient celebrations of the winter solstice, although their relation to mistletoe is also unclear. Reason enough could be the magical effect against ghosts, the defiant green in the cold winter as a sign of life and the beautiful winter decoration of berries.
3. How can mistletoe be harvested?
Mistletoe is found on certain types of deciduous trees, such as maple and poplar, and some conifers, such as fir and pine. They are harvested either with a ladder or from the ground with a telescopic saw or shears. Entire plants or just parts can be removed if the mistletoe is to survive and continue to grow.
Often the first problem with the mistletoe harvest is that the beautiful parasites have to be found first. For this it is useful to know which trees they prefer to populate. Look for poplars (Populus), willows (Salix), apple trees (Malus), birches ( Betula), Hazelnuts (Corylus), Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), Linden ( Tilia) and Maple (Acer). But conifers such as silver fir (Abies alba), pine (Pinus) and spruce (Picea) can also carry mistletoe. An insider tip are overgrown orchards, since mistletoe apparently prefers to grow on apple trees.
Once you have penetrated into their airy realm, mistletoe is quite easy to harvest. Safely standing ladders are best, if possible held and secured by a second person at the bottom. They can be harvested by hand, with scissors or handsaws, in whole or in part - if the plant is to continue to grow and be harvested again. However, the safest way is to harvest with a telescopic saw or shears from the ground.
By the way, mistletoe is not protected and can be harvested all year round.
Trees with problematic mistletoe infestation should be checked annually and the semiparasites should be removed afterwards, whereby the mistletoe is cut off close to the trunk of the host. Best is suitablethe winter time, when the mistletoe is clearly visible in the bare host plant.
Mistletoe in trees is not entirely unproblematic: It is not for nothing that it is also popularly known as the "strangler of the apple tree". Mistletoe can become a problem in ecologically very valuable old orchards if the infestation becomes so severe that the survival of the tree is no longer assured. This generally applies to multiple infestations, regardless of the tree species affected. Endangered trees should therefore be checked annually and, if possible, freed of the parasites. Winter is best for this, when the trees are bare and the mistletoe is at the mercy of our eyes. The mistletoe is cut off as close as possible to the trunk of the host tree; removing the suction roots is neither possible nor necessary. It makes sense to remove all mistletoe in the vicinity, as this will make it less likely for a new infestation to occur.
Tip: If you rid your trees of mistletoe in Advent, you will have a nice decoration for yourself and maybe even gifts for friends. Mistletoe stays green and fresh for a long time when placed in water.
5. Can you grow mistletoe yourself?
If you want to grow mistletoe yourself, you need seeds, a suitable host tree and patience. A seeded mistletoe does not appear as a green shoot for the first time until one to two years after sowing and then has to grow for several more years to reach its spherical shape and become a useful Christmas decoration.
You can grow your own mistletoe with the following six steps:
- Collect ripe fruit between November and March from a mistletoe growing elsewhere. The berries are ripe when they soften. Note that these are specialized subspecies: there are deciduous mistletoe, fir mistletoe, and pine mistletoe, and each subspecies relies on its host tree species.
- Sow the fresh mistletoe seeds and the surrounding fruit immediately without storing them for a long time.
- Choose a spot on the new host tree that is not yet protected by thick bark but only by thin bark. The height and thickness of the branch or trunk section used is irrelevant.
- Sow the seeds on dry bark, if possible in a spot where the bark will dry off quickly after the rain - otherwise the seeds could slip off afterwards. sunny untilpartially shaded areas are optimal.
- Crush the fruit between your fingers and spread the contents where you want them.
- Germination takes place in March of the following year, after another one to two years the first leaves appear, the mistletoe then flowers after six to seven years.
In medicine, the whole mistletoe is used. So-called mistletoe lectins and the already mentioned viscotoxins are used in medicines. Applications for lowering blood pressure (often in combination with hawthorn), stimulating the immune system and triggering desired, local inflammation are scientifically well documented. However, abilities are also attributed to mistletoe, the origin of which is more of a traditional and anthroposophical nature and which has not yet been proven. This includes use in alternative cancer therapy.
Of course, the Christmas tree is also typical of the Christmas season. You can read here why a Christmas tree in a pot is the more sustainable alternative.