Often used as a symbol of renewal because it stays green all winter, mistletoe is famed for its stolen-kisses power.
Natural sprigs of mistletoe tied with festive gold ribbon, tested and ready for Christmas!
Mistletoe is a perennial flowering plant with specialized roots that can penetrate the host plant's bark and circulatory system. Mistletoe is considered hemi-parasitic because it uses photosynthesis for a short time while young. Mistletoe can cause damage or look unsightly. It can also cause Witches'-broom, a disease that causes clusters of weak shoots in the host tree. The name mistletoe comes from Anglo-Saxon words that mean "dung-on-a-twig". This usually refers to the dung of birds that eat the seeds and spread them to new plants. Mistletoe's white berries are poisonous to humans but are a food source for many other species.
Why is mistletoe the kissing plant?
In the Norse culture, the Mistletoe plant was a sign of love and peace. The story goes that the goddess, Figg lost her son, the god Baldur, to an arrow made of mistletoe. After his death, she vowed that Mistletoe would kiss anyone who passed beneath so long as it was never again used as a weapon.
What does mistletoe symbolize?
Historically, mistletoe represents romance, fertility, and vitality. Because nothing says love like bird feces and poison. But seriously, the Celtic Druids valued mistletoe for its healing properties and likely were among the first to decorate with it.