Mistletoe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mistletoe |
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| European mistletoe attached to a silver birch | |
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Santalaceae (Viscaceae) |
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Mistletoe is a special kind of plant. It's called a semi-parasitic plant because it grows on other trees and gets some of its food from them. Mistletoe belongs to a group of plants called Santalales. You can find mistletoe growing attached to the branches of trees and shrubs.
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Different Kinds of Mistletoe
The name "mistletoe" was first used for Viscum album. This is the European mistletoe, and it's the only type that grows naturally in Great Britain and much of Europe.
Later, the name was also given to other similar plants. One example is Phoradendron serotinum, which is the eastern mistletoe found in eastern North America.
The biggest family of mistletoes is called Loranthaceae. This family has 73 different groups (called genera) and more than 900 types of mistletoe species!
Mistletoe in Stories and Traditions
Mistletoe has been important in many old stories and customs.
In Greek mythology, mistletoe played a big part. Some people believe it was the famous "The Golden Bough" from the story of Aeneas. In Norse mythology, the god Baldur was sadly killed with a weapon made from mistletoe.
In Romania, mistletoe (called vâsc) is thought to bring good luck.
The famous writer William Shakespeare even mentioned mistletoe in one of his plays, Titus Andronicus.
Mistletoe at Christmas
Mistletoe is often used as a Christmas decoration. In Europe, people usually use Viscum album, while in North America, Phoradendron serotinum is more common.
There's a fun tradition that says mistletoe should not touch the ground after it's cut. It can stay hanging all year, sometimes to protect a house from lightning or fire. Then, it's replaced with fresh mistletoe the next Christmas Eve.
Mistletoe (specifically Phoradendron flavescens) is also the official floral emblem for the state of Oklahoma in the United States.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe
During Christmas, there's a well-known custom: if two people meet under a hanging piece of mistletoe, they are encouraged to kiss. This tradition first started in Scandinavia.
Images for kids
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European mistletoe (Viscum album) attached to a common aspen (Populus tremula)
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Mistletoe in winter
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The Mistletoe Seller by Adrien Barrère
See also
In Spanish: Muérdago para niños
