Mistletoe is a richly symbolic winter plant with an unusual life cycle. With more than half of England’s traditional orchards lost since the mid-20th century, it would be easy to assume mistletoe is disappearing too. But that’s not the case. Despite dramatic changes in land use, mistletoe in Britain and Ireland is not in decline – and in some places it may even be spreading.

Mistletoe is a name used for a variety of different plants across the world, but in Britain it generally means European mistletoe (Viscum album), a semiparasitic plant that grows on the branches of trees. Being semiparasitic means it takes water and some of its nutrients from the tree on which it grows, while also capturing its own energy through photosynthesis.

This unusual feature allows mistletoe to thrive high in the tree canopy, but also makes it dependent on both suitable host trees and the animals that help it reproduce.

Mistletoe is best known today for the tradition of kissing beneath it at Christmas, a custom that became popular in the 19th century. The plant also features in Greek and Norse mythology and has some tenuous associations with ancient druidic practices........

© The Conversation