12/15/2022
The holidays are here, and that means many things for so many people!
For most, it means family-gatherings, decorations, a feast, some eggnog, a tree, Christmas carols, celebration, perhaps a kiss under the mistletoe…
But what is mistletoe exactly?
It’s what we see in the trees in many areas throughout the Verde Valley after the leaves have fallen away.
Their big, bushy, pretty to look at, but these venomous little parasites are eating away at the life of your tree.
The presence of mistletoe in your tree may also contribute spreading them to other nearby trees via bird f***s, and they’re very capable of killing their hosts from the inside out.
The birds, to explain, will feast on the berries of mistletoe and will then defecate on other trees in the area.
This will, then, spread like a virus.
It’s wise to have it removed from your trees. We removed them from this Ash earlier today, and we also cleared the dead branches and gave the lead some room to breath, grow, and receive more glorious Arizona sun.
Apart from that, if you’re curious like I was, I looked up why anyone would want to kiss under a parasitic berry, and this is a good summary of what I found:
“The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe started in ancient Greece, during the festival of Saturnalia and later in marriage ceremonies, because of the plant's association with fertility. During the Roman era, enemies at war would reconcile their differences under the mistletoe, which to them represented peace. Romans also decorated their houses and temples with mistletoe in midwinter to please their gods.”
-Lily Norton, (livescience.com)
Can’t hurt to learn!
We’ll share more soon, but in the meantime, keep your chin up! (And if you see us up in the trees, give us a wave!)