Mistletoe Conservation

Grow Your Own

Mistletoe conservation can be done at home - by growing your own. It is fairly easy, but needs a supply of berries in early spring rather than at Christmas - and the plants take several years to establish. Some guidance is given below, along with a links websites where you can buy berries and information on growing your own.mistletoe, d

But first some caveats:

don't grow mistletoe on your prize fruit tree - as it will affect tree growth and fruit yield
this guidance is only intended for growing Viscum album in Europe - if you're elsewhere in the world growing other species they may require different treatments
don't try growing foreign species - non-native introductions can become naturalised and a naturalised plant parasite could cause problems...

Germination

Germination of Mistletoe seeds has a mythology of its own and patent methods abound in old gardening literature. One of the earliest accounts is in John Morton's Natural History of Northamptonshire (1712) where he describes successful planting on Black Poplar in March.

Germination can be divided into non-parasitic and parasitic phases. In the first the seed extends a green hypocotyl which bends towards the host surface. Once this is contacted it flattens to a sucker-shaped holdfast adhering to the host surface.

Once the holdfast is established the parasitic phase begins as the seedling begins to penetrate the host tissue stimulating the growth of a connecting organ or haustorium.

The haustorium grows with the host, often causing strange twistings and swellings in the branch.

Growing Your Own

To succeed you’ll need to

be prepared – success rates are low and so you’ll need a lot of berries
time it right – success is much higher in February and March
be patient – mistletoe grows quite slowly in the first 4 years

First thing to do is to secure a berry source. Mistletoe cut at Christmas is not ideal, but berries can be kept fresh by detaching them and leaving them in a shed until mid-February. Far better to harvest your berries fresh in February – if you have a local source try netting them at Christmas to ensure some are left

In late winter and early spring you can buy berries online at www.tenbury-mistletoe.co.uk and at www.mistle.co.uk.

Then choose your host, bearing in mind V.album’s preferences – apple first, then poplars, limes, false acacia, hawthorn etc. Most shrubs of the Rosaceae are suitable.

In February, if the berries have been stored, rehydrate them for a few hours in a little water. Whether fresh or stored, the seed needs to be squeezed out of the berry, along with a quantity of the sticky viscin.

Try to plant as many as possible, at least 20 berries at once, as most will die or be eaten. And since V.album is diocieous you’ll need at least two plants for future berries. Many gardening texts advocate making a slit in the bark but I advocate “nature’s way”, emulating the Mistle Thrush and Blackcap by simply smearing berries onto the intact branch.

netted mistletoe to ensure berry suply. Pic JB

growing 1 growing 2 growing 3 growing 4 growing 5 growing 6 growing 7
These pictures are from a Weleda guide to mistletoe - Weleda produce one of the mistletoe medicines

Stick each seed, with its own glue, to branches 1.5 metres or so up the tree and on the side or underside of a branch at least 20mm diameter. Mark each berry loosely with string to aid monitoring.

Germination is fairly rapid and a short green hypocotyl should appear and bend to contact the host bark. At this stage the tiny plants are particularly susceptible to grazing invertebrates and birds and prone to dehydration until they have made a host connection.

If all goes well the hypocotyl remain unchanged until the following February. Only then will a small new plant appear.

For more guidance,

and a supply of berries,

try the links on the right.

www.tenbury-mistletoe.co.uk

www.mistle.co.uk

Planting berries at Enfield Lock II. Pic David Mansell/BW

You don't have to go to the top of the tree to plant mistletoe - but at least it'll be safe there!

Grow Your Own
	Mistletoe conservation can be done at home - by growing your own. It is fairly easy, but needs a supply of berries in early spring rather than at Christmas - and the plants take several years to establish. Some guidance is given below, along with a links websites where you can buy berries and information on growing your own.mistletoe, d But first some caveats: don't grow mistletoe on your prize fruit tree - as it will affect tree growth and fruit yield this guidance is only intended for growing Viscum album in Europe - if you're elsewhere in the world growing other species they may require different treatments don't try growing foreign species - non-native introductions can become naturalised and a naturalised plant parasite could cause problems...
	Germination Germination of Mistletoe seeds has a mythology of its own and patent methods abound in old gardening literature. One of the earliest accounts is in John Morton's Natural History of Northamptonshire (1712) where he describes successful planting on Black Poplar in March. Germination can be divided into non-parasitic and parasitic phases. In the first the seed extends a green hypocotyl which bends towards the host surface. Once this is contacted it flattens to a sucker-shaped holdfast adhering to the host surface. Once the holdfast is established the parasitic phase begins as the seedling begins to penetrate the host tissue stimulating the growth of a connecting organ or haustorium. The haustorium grows with the host, often causing strange twistings and swellings in the branch.

	Growing Your Own To succeed you’ll need to be prepared – success rates are low and so you’ll need a lot of berries time it right – success is much higher in February and March be patient – mistletoe grows quite slowly in the first 4 years
	First thing to do is to secure a berry source. Mistletoe cut at Christmas is not ideal, but berries can be kept fresh by detaching them and leaving them in a shed until mid-February. Far better to harvest your berries fresh in February – if you have a local source try netting them at Christmas to ensure some are left In late winter and early spring you can buy berries online at www.tenbury-mistletoe.co.uk and at www.mistle.co.uk. Then choose your host, bearing in mind V.album’s preferences – apple first, then poplars, limes, false acacia, hawthorn etc. Most shrubs of the Rosaceae are suitable. In February, if the berries have been stored, rehydrate them for a few hours in a little water. Whether fresh or stored, the seed needs to be squeezed out of the berry, along with a quantity of the sticky viscin. Try to plant as many as possible, at least 20 berries at once, as most will die or be eaten. And since V.album is diocieous you’ll need at least two plants for future berries. Many gardening texts advocate making a slit in the bark but I advocate “nature’s way”, emulating the Mistle Thrush and Blackcap by simply smearing berries onto the intact branch.
These pictures are from a Weleda guide to mistletoe - Weleda produce one of the mistletoe medicines

	Stick each seed, with its own glue, to branches 1.5 metres or so up the tree and on the side or underside of a branch at least 20mm diameter. Mark each berry loosely with string to aid monitoring. Germination is fairly rapid and a short green hypocotyl should appear and bend to contact the host bark. At this stage the tiny plants are particularly susceptible to grazing invertebrates and birds and prone to dehydration until they have made a host connection. If all goes well the hypocotyl remain unchanged until the following February. Only then will a small new plant appear.
	For more guidance, and a supply of berries, try the links on the right.	www.tenbury-mistletoe.co.uk
		www.mistle.co.uk
You don't have to go to the top of the tree to plant mistletoe - but at least it'll be safe there!