As a kid, I remember we always had mistletoe hanging in the doorway this time of year. Any idea where this tradition comes from? AR

The hanging of a parasitic plant in a doorway above our heads to inspire and promote kissing does seem like a strange ritual. But, if we look back at the history of mistletoe, it makes a little more sense.

Our mistletoe story begins with Aristotle (384-322) who believed mistletoe just miraculously appeared on trees. It was a student of his named Theophrastus (320-270 BC) who was closer to the truth when he wrote that mistletoe grew from seeds in bird feces deposited on the trees. Later, it was Pliny the Elder (23-79 BC) who gave us a history of the customs associated with mistletoe in his era.

Apparently, in ancient times oaks were considered sacred. As deciduous trees do, oak trees lose their leaves in the fall. When the leaves dropped to the ground, mistletoe that had been hidden by the leaves, was revealed. At the time, it was believed the energy of the oak tree was concentrated and stored over the winter in the green mistletoe high in the trees. Because of this, people would remove mistletoe from the tree to bring home, hoping this concentrated energy would protect them from injury or harm.

Flash forward a few years to 16^th century England and you find the custom of kissing under the mistletoe being born. Being born is an appropriate term here since kissing under the mistletoe was also associated with increased fertility.

Apparently, this custom caught on and you could easily find mistletoe in the market along with holly and other seasonal greenery. So, how did mistletoe get associated with Oklahoma.

Well, in 1893 the Women’s Congress of the Chicago World’s Fair wanted all the states to select a floral emblem to represent themselves at the fair. While Oklahoma was not yet a state, they had eyes on becoming a state and set out to select a floral emblem.

Oklahoma Territorial Representative John Wimberly introduced a bill to the Territorial Legislature that would make mistletoe the territory’s official floral emblem. Naturally there was some discussion about the appropriateness of a parasitic plant for this honor, but Mr. Wimberly argued that during tough times in the territory, mistletoe was often the only greenery to be found. His argument must have been convincing because mistletoe did indeed become our official floral emblem.

However, it didn’t take long for someone to attempt to dethrone mistletoe from its place of honor. Before Oklahoma could even become a state, Mr. Bill Murray (aka Alfalfa Bill Murray) who would later become governor of Oklahoma, wanted to change the official floral emblem to alfalfa since alfalfa was an important crop in the state. His efforts failed and mistletoe remained the official floral emblem.

Flash forward to 1986 and we have Rep. Kelly Haney from Seminole introducing a bill that would identify the Indian Blanket as our official wildflower. The bill passed and over twenty Native American tribes attended the celebration ceremony. However, this did not unseat mistletoe as our official floral emblem.

Then, in 2004 Gov. Brad Henry signed a law proclaiming the Oklahoma Rose as the official state flower. While it may be the official state flower, mistletoe remains our official floral emblem. For those keeping count, we now have an official state flower, an official state wildflower, and an official floral emblem.

Ok, enough about the history of mistletoe, let’s talk about the plant.

While mistletoe plants can be male or female, it’s the female plant that produces the white berries we are familiar with. Birds such as cedar waxwings, robins, and others are known to eat those berries. While the pulp of the berry is digested by the birds, the seeds are not, so the seeds are discarded via the bird’s excrement. As a result, mistletoe seeds are “planted” on the branches of the trees via bird droppings. Interestingly, in Old English, the word “mistletoe” translates to “dung on a twig.” That little bit of knowledge might help you win a trivia contest someday or perhaps convince your friends that you are weirder than they thought. Either way it’s a win.

As you look around town, you will notice trees with a few mistletoe plants, while others contain many plants. There is a logical reason for this. If you can imagine, as the birds visit and eat the berries, seeds are deposited on the branches. The more mistletoe plants, the more opportunity to plant seeds. Over time, the quantity of plants builds up on this tree more than the others.

Mistletoe is what we call a parasitic plant meaning that it draws all of it’s nutrients from the host tree. Typically, healthy trees easily tolerate a mild infestation. However, as the quantity of mistletoe plants increases, this re-appropriation of nutrients can stunt the tree’s growth and in the worst of cases, kill the tree.

Pruning branches that are home for mistletoe is the best way to get rid of it, but this strategy gets problematic in larger trees. Mistletoe growth on trees can be limited with the use of a product called Floral, but this is not a permanent fix. We prefer to let nature take its course while enjoying the mistletoe’s yearly unveiling.

For those who want to trim a little mistletoe off the tree to bring inside to hang in your doorway, be sure to wash your hands with hot soapy water after handling and keep it out of the reach of children and pets as the berries are poisonous.

Now, I think I’ll go stand under some mistletoe to see if anyone notices. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.

Photo: Tom Ingram