Mistletoe is a holiday tradition but its origins as a seasonal rite may surprise you. Michael Ellis has a Perspective. Plants power our lives. We, of course, require them for our daily sustenance.

Mistletoe isn’t just a holiday decoration - it’s one of the strangest and most ruthless plants in the natural world. In this episode, we uncover the explosive way mistletoe spreads its seeds ...

Mistletoe’s evergreen nature made it a symbol of vitality and life during the winter months. For ancient cultures, this resilience was seen as a magical quality in a season when most plants were ...

Mistletoe – famous for stolen holiday kisses – is a parasite that steals water and nutrients from other plants by: David Hillock, Oklahoma State University via AP The Conversation ...

Mistletoe and trees can live in harmony for many years, but if mistletoe gets a little too happy, it can take over a tree and kill even a mature canopy. Killing the very thing it needs to survive ...

Try to keep mistletoe plants out of the reach of small children and pets. If a child or pet consumes it, it's best to check with poison control (800-222-1222), your physician, or your veterinarian ...

One of those, American mistletoe, or oak mistletoe, is found through the East Coast into the southern Midwest. The botanical name, phoradendron leucarpum, points to its white (leuca) fruit (carpum).

I can report that making mistletoe photos is not necessarily easy. Shooting the clumps in the trees from afar is child’s play. Just stand in a good spot and fire away. Getting close-up images of ...

Mistletoe has a dark side because some species are bad for the environment. “It can harm and kill trees,” said Nicole Keleher, forest health director.

Mistletoe is mentioned in classic Christmas songs like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by The Jackson 5, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee, and Mariah Carey's modern sensation ...

Memphis writer Skyy Blair scripted a new Hallmark movie. Here's what to know about "Magic in Mistletoe," starring Paul Campbell and Lyndie Greenwood.

Smithsonian botanist Marcos A. Caraballo-Ortiz collected these mistletoe specimens in Mexico. Marcos A. Caraballo-Ortiz This holiday season, you might be hoping to catch someone under the ...