And while you're down in the meadow, be sure to look up!!!  

 

There is a ton of mistletoe in the trees.  Well, the green bunches are mistletoe, the brown ones are probably squirrel nests.  Let's talk about mistletoe, though, not squirrel nests.

 

Botanically, mistletoe is in a family by itself:  Mistletoe Family, Viscaceae.  

 

The mistletoe we are seeing is Phoradendron leucarpum (I looked it up in my Wildflower field guide.)  It is epiphytic, and grows parasitically on deciduous trees.  That means it uses the tree for support AND some of its nourishment.  Mistletoe doesn't steal all the trees' resources;  it just uses what it needs, without killing the tree.  AND it gets plenty of light when the tree drops its leaves.

 

It has sticky seeds that are POISONOUS to humans, but birds such as cedar waxwings and bluebirds love them.  The birds spread the seeds through their droppings and by scraping the seeds off their beaks, which then stick to tree branches and grow there.  It's usually found up high in trees in open places.

 

I remember hearing stories about our grandmother shooting it down with a .22!!  Is THAT how they do it?  I'm laughing!

 

I don't have a close-up picture, but we've all seen mistletoe at Christmas time.  I love spotting it high up in the trees and making kissing sounds for fun!!  That's safer than hanging it inside the house.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!