Mistletoe

This parasitic plant, spread particularly by the mistle thrush, seems very abundant in this area of Suffolk. The birds eat the berries and wipe the sticky seeds onto fresh bark. Once established it is difficult to remove and often boughs of trees have to be cut off to remove its root system. The plant gets most of its sustenance from the sap of the host tree. It is an ancient symbol of male fertility, involved in many customs, even today at Christmas time. The plant is poisonous.

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