Mistletoe Magic, Myth and Mystery
By Charleen Barr, Master Gardener
Colorado State University Extension, Larimer County
October 27, 2007
Holiday magic begins with decorations using boughs of evergreen. Cultures all over the world include evergreen boughs in their festivities. From sprigs to branches to entire trees, evergreens are meant to magically store the power of the sun during the dark of winter. People who live in cold climates revere plants that stay green year round. The magic of mistletoe greenery inspires merriment and kisses under a sprig in a doorway.
Mistletoe is a plant parasite. It derives water and minerals by sinking its roots not into the ground, but into the flesh of living plants. European mistletoe (Viscum sp.) and North America mistletoe (Phoradendron sp.) have pointy, green leathery leaves with waxy red or white berries and bright red, yellow or green flowers.
Dwarf mistletoe variants in Colorado can be found in forested areas on coniferous trees such as ponderosa, lodgepole, Pinyon and limber pines, as well as Douglas-fir. These plant parasites are not well suited to be harvested and used as holiday decoration because they have thick brown shoots and very little leaf-like tissue.
People in the Middle Ages believed in spontaneous generation and observed that mistletoe would often appear on a branch or twig where birds had left droppings. 'Misteltan' is the Anglo-Saxon word for 'dung,' and 'tan' is the word for 'twig'. So, mistletoe means "dung-on-a-twig." Not exactly a word origin in keeping with the romantic reputation of mistletoe plants!
Like most Christmas traditions, mistletoe myth was part of pagan rituals long before Christianity swept across Europe. Since mistletoe grows on other plants and not in the soil, some ancient cultures believed it was a holy plant. Mistletoe symbolized peace, abundance, prosperity and fertility by the Druids. Norse legend says that when enemies met under mistletoe in the forest, they would lay down their weapons and maintain a truce until the next day.
Early Christians condemned mistletoe as evil and pagan, but that did not stop the custom of kissing under sacred plant of life. The Christmas ritual became a holy kiss of peace and pardon, passed by priests throughout the congregation. This custom evolved into stealing a kiss from anyone standing under the mistletoe.
Mistletoe is a mystery. Native Americans believe mistletoe prevents childbirth. They use dwarf mistletoes for everything from treating stomach aches, tuberculosis and rheumatism to endowing women with long, black hair.
Today, extracts from various mistletoe species are under study for their immune-boosting and anti-cancer activity. Mistletoe has acquired a reputation as an all-purpose herbal remedy used to treat rheumatism, anxiety, migraine headache, dizziness, high blood pressure, relief of spasms, asthma, rapid heartbeat and diarrhea. Research continues on the use of mistletoe to treat AIDS patients.
The leaves and berries of mistletoe are poisonous, so self-medication with mistletoe is not recommended. Mistletoe has not been tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Mistletoe's evergreen trait encourages its use as a symbol of life to celebrate the winter solstice. Since Christmas is only four days after the winter solstice, it has become a traditional holiday plant in Euro-American cultures. When "decking the halls" with evergreens, place some mistletoe over the doorway and celebrate the holidays with family and friends.
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