Hi Laura, Misletoe grows up on the upper banches of certain oak trees way out of reach. It's kinda like a parasite plant. It's easy to spot in the winter once all the tree leaves have fallen. As a kid I used to use a .22 rifle to shoot down small clumps of misletoe from the tree branches. As far as I know it doesn't grow on or in the ground and I'm not too certain of the full range of where it can grow and what trees it prefers. vgkg

Also grows on just about every species of evergreen trees and each species of mistletoe is pretty specific to each species of tree.

Can I ask why you would want to purchase a parasitic plant like this? We have horrid problems with mistltoe infestations here in colorado.

My reason for wanting to grow Misletoe are quite simple, It is in the evergreen family, Here in Ohio, anything green in Winter is a treat! Also, I would LOVE to use it for Christmas decoration, you know, "Hung UP over the doorways".
It can get costly buying pre-packaged peices of Misletoe!

I have planted Holly Bushes for the same reason this year. My hope is by next year , I can use snips from them for my Christmas decor.

Anyway, I have a home already picked out for it. I still would LOVE to grow some Misletoe!!!

Thank's for all the help,
Laura :)

Plant something such as pines, junipers or firs-Please don't plant mistletoe!!

After much concideration, and a realy bad dream, my plans for growing Misletoe are aborted!!

I will grow evergreen trees instead.

Thanks for all the help,
Laura :)

Hi Laura...was just talking about mistletoe this past weekend and the consensus is NOT to grow it as it is a parasite in the real world...Hope to see you soon!!!!!!love the cat
karen

Karen,
I had such a bad dream adout the Misletoe, I wont try it!
I'm glad you like the Cat! "Garden Toy's"
If Misletoe could be graffted in to a bush, or a soil grown vine, I would try that.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL"

Laura :)

tell us more about

your dream

That dream was a bad one!!
I was doing something.....and I got all tangled up in this green vine stuff.
I was trying with all my strength (personally, I'm very strong!!) to break free from this green vine stuff, and I COULD NOT break free!!

I was compleatly trapped and tangled!
That is a feeling that I can live with-out!!!!

So...... needles to say, I will not attempt to grow any Misletoe.

If it could be grafted to grow as a bush (like Holy), then I would go for it....Full Speed.

Thanks for asking about my dream, Do you dream wild ones too?

Laura :)

I am fascinated by yours, i must admit

you may be conforted to know that the traditional mistletoe I observed high in the bare winter trees in France were rather cheery balls of not dense, not tough growth about the size of a basketball tops, if that big. It was not vining nor menacing, except for the borrowing of a cup of sugar from the host tree. I found them intersting and evocative and can understand your desire for growing them, but like the great huge hedges of rosemary which I found overwhelmingly beautiful to see and to walk through, or the great hedges of bay laurel, such delights are not for us in the frozen north

We have mistletoe all over the neighborhood, simple because oaks are the primary tree. Mistletoe is a parasite, as others have mentioned, and they take nutrients from the host tree. They will not kill the tree but they will surely stunt it.
Thanks for thinking twice about spreading this parasite around.

Is there a proven method to kill mistletoe? My husband is a forrester and said it will eventually kill the tree.

I logged on here to see if there was a source of Mistletoe. I'm sure glad I looked here first! No mistletoe for me! I have a big, beautiful oak and several evergreens. I would never torture them with this. Time for good ol' plastic! Thanks for the info!

Hey everyone,
This thread is a little old, but I feel I need to put a post on here because there is just a bit too much unneccessary paranoia about mistletoe. The really bad, western mistletoe that kills evergreen trees is dwarf mistletoe ( this plant looks nothing like the true european mistletoe, Viscum album). European mistletoe is not very harmful to the host tree, even if there are several clusters, and if you want to grow mistletoe, this is the species you should use. They can be propagated by the home gardener, with diffuculty. The best way is to squash the seeds out of the berries, and then place the very sticky seeds on the underside of a young, smooth branch. Seedlings cannot easily penetrate the bark of older branches. So, my final word is: If you want to grow it, then heck, go ahead!

Best,
James

I second that. European Mistletoe is far from rampant, although it is a parasite. In fact it is quite rare now in England because of harvesting. Still lots in France. I wouldn't grow it for winter colour unless you want that colour inside. It grows high up in trees and looks more like an old birds nest than a living thing :)

--ian

We have to get guys to climb up in our trees to cut the stuff out as it sucks them dry and they will eventually die. You wouldn't want Mistletoe, believe me!!!!! B.

My husband used to shoot it out of the trees in a remote area and my daughter bundled it up in small bunches and sold it door to door.

I think the worst thing about mistletoe is this: you may want it, but it spreads like crazy, thanks to the birds, and your friends/neighbors (I hope they are the same) may not want it. It is highly invasive and not that attractive. Think twice. Your dream is prophetic!

Hello everyone,
I need some pictures of Mistletoes, I live in Golden, Colorado, and was wondering if anyone knows where I can find some mistletoes near here, especially the Viscum Album type or the big leaf mistletoe (phorandron macrophyllum). Otherwise any kind is fine. Please help! It's for a very important proyect.

Laura you should definitely grow holly..... it is one of the most beautiful winter decorations..... and a fast growing tree.... :)

Hello all, I am new to the forum. I am proud to be a member. I am curious if there is such a thing as mistletoe extract? This Herb liquid I am taking, one of its ingredients are mistletoe. The ingredients of the herb medicine is Garlic,Hawthorn,Coleus, Motherwort, Bilberry, Butchers Broom,Mistletoe,Kelp,Ginger,Cayenne. What I am trying to do is buy all the extracts and make a big batch of the herb medicine to save money. The herb medicine is expencive but very good. Anyone know where to purchase these extracts? If so, Please advise. Joe

Here in the Sierras we are plagued with Mistletoe. It can kill the Oak trees if the tree gets loaded with it. The other problem with it is that Mistletoe is VERY heavy. One good snow storm or heavy rain can break the whole limb off or topple the tree. Nasty stuff!

how come misletoes grow up so high that they are out of reach?Where can the mistletoe most comanly be found?And like what kind of oak trees do mistletoes grow in?

heather_carterteemja

is there anything you can sray on oaks to kill mistletoe. i have a huge oak that is covered and im afraid it will die.

Mistle toe is parisitic, and invasive. It only seems to grow at the propper elevation around here(justlike aspen). Check with your extention agency to make sure you won't get in trouble for bringing in a non native species if it already isn't growing around there.
Travis