Common mistletoe(Viscum album) is a semi-parasitic plant that grows on trees - hosts. As a magical and medicinal plant, it was an important element of old beliefs and customs, and to this day it is hung for good luck at Christmas. What else aremistletoe use ? Learn allsecrets of mistletoeand see how to use it in your household.
The common mistletoe is a semi-parasite that grows on the crowns of large trees
The common mistletoe , unlike other plants, does not root directly in the soil, and gets the water and minerals it needs from the plant that is its host.It nests in trees, mainly poplars, lindens, birches and pines. Its needs are small, so it usually does not cause much damage to the plant - the host. The more so as it usually inhabits trees that are at least 20 years old, and therefore already large and strong. It can bother them and visibly weaken them only when they are very numerous.
Common mistletoeis a plant with a characteristic spherical habit, producing green shoots and evergreen, leathery leaves. Its spherical clumps can be seen among the branches of trees in autumn and winter, when the trees are devoid of leaves. In late autumn, white mistletoe fruits ripen, which are excellent food for birds, mainly waxwings and thrushes. Birds eating the fruit contribute to the spreading of the seeds, and the sticky flesh contained in the fruit allows the seeds to stick to the branches of the trees.The flowering of mistletoealso occurs in a rather unusual period - from February to April, when all the surrounding nature is in a winter sleep.
White mistletoe fruits appear from late autumn, being a delicacy for birds
This extraordinary life cycle of mistletoe and the fact that it only exists high above the ground on other plants, meant that in ancient beliefs it was attributed with magical powers. There is some truth in these beliefs, because the mistletoemistletoe contained incherry fruits, although poisonous to humans when consumed raw (causes vomiting and diarrhea), after processing is used in the production of medicines and cosmetics.
Mistletoe, hung over the entrance to the house or over the Christmas Eve table, is to bring happiness, consent and love
Currently, this plant is mainly used as a festive decoration for Christmas, hanging it over the entrances to houses. This custom comes from the Nordic countries, and the suspended mistletoe is supposed to guarantee happiness to the household, warding off charms and demons.It can also be hung over the Christmas Eve table, over the fireplace or in the kitchen. However, it is worth remembering that according to tradition, the Christmas Eve bunch of mistletoe should be kept throughout the year, otherwise its beneficial power will disappear. As a plant used for Christmas decorations, mistletoe is predisposed by the fact that its twigs and leaves remain fresh for a long time after cutting.
It is also worth mentioning thatcommon mistletoeis a symbol of lovers. In the past, in Puritan England, you could kiss any woman with impunity under the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling during Christmas. This custom, transferred to Poland, states that a random conversation or kiss of a couple of young people under the mistletoe is a harbinger of their marriage.
