View allAll Photos Tagged MISTLETOE
While travelling through Boulia in Queensland a couple of years ago I noticed the mistletoe winding its way up an unfamiliar Eucalyptus tree.
Mistletoe, Viscum album, is an ancient, well-known plant, often associated with Christmas. It is however also a herb. The berries have been employed for centuries to reduce nervous disorders and epilepsy. Today it is used in cancer treatment.
Mistletoe is unusual in that it does not grow in the soil. It is a parasitic plant, growing on trees such as domestic apple, crab apple, lime, black poplar, hawthorn, crack willow, ash, sycamore, pear, whitebeam. Although it takes some minerals and water from its host, it will not harm an established healthy tree.
The large sticky white berries are very popular with birds especially the blackcap and mistlethrush, who aid in the dispersal of this plant. If you would like to try and grow mistletoe, collect the berries from live plants as soon as they are ripe. Only collect berries from somewhere that has given you permission to do so. Do not collect from the wild as this special plant is in decline.
Those berries remaining from the seasonal decorations can also be used, but there is no guarantee they will germinate. However it is well worth a try. The decoration cuttings can be kept fresh in a vase of water or the berries can be stored in moist sand in a cool room or shed.
It is important to know where the berries originated as it is believed that the mistletoe will grow best on the same type of tree that the mistletoe parent chose. So if it was growing on an apple, plant the seeds on an apple or crab apple. Do not use berries from imported mistletoe.
February or March is the best time to 'plant' mistletoe berries. The host tree should be well established, preferably at least 20 years old. There are various possible planting techniques. You could try simply smearing the berry onto a crevice or fissure in the bark for example. Better results may be achieved by making a small incision on the bark first, so that the berry can be firmly attached. Do this at approx 1.5m above ground level on the side or underside of a strong, young, branch. To mark 'the spot' tie the berry in with some string or length of sacking or cotton bandage. This will also protect it from some hungry insects and snails. Mistletoe is has separate male and female plants, so ideally you should try to grow several plants.
Have patience. The seeds may take a couple of years to germinate. Once it has begun to grow, cut back each year to stop it growing too big and harming the tree. They should be able to survive in unison for decades.
A few years have passed since my brother in law set ripe mistletoe berries on to an apple tree. One of several good bunches growing in their garden.
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5" x 7"
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Illustrated by Denise Ann Holmes for Art school Girl.
This year looks like a good crop of mistletoe in the trees , this is only one of quite a few trees hosting mistletoe .
Oak Mistletoe (Phoradendron villosum) - this species is common on White Oaks here on the Pacific Coast, in central and southern parts of it.
While travelling through Boulia in Queensland a couple of years ago I noticed the mistletoe winding its way up an unfamiliar Eucalyptus tree.
Mistletoe plants growing in their host tree inside the churchyard at All Saints Church (or Church of All Saints) which is located within the confines of the private Braxted Park Estate and its very long perimeter wall near the villages of Great and Little Braxted in the County of Essex (UK).
Photograph taken by and copyright of my regular photostream contributor David and is posted here with very kind permission
Henry W. Coe State Park
220 of California's 279 state parks are in trouble:
Governor Schwarzenegger has once again drafted a proposal to close our state parks in an attempt to cut back on spending. This time the proposal includes 220 parks, instead of the previous 48. The proposal would eliminate nearly all state parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and a small crew of rangers will patrol the areas.
More info can be found here:
www.mercurynews.com/ci_12481195?source=most_viewed
List of parks to be closed:
www.news10.net/news/pdf/st-park-list.pdf
If you are interested in saving our state parks, please take the time to contact government officials regarding this decision. I'm sure there is a better way to handle the budget crisis.
Canon EOS Elan II
EF 17-40mm f/4L
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