There are five genera of mistletoe, but only three have notable roles in culture. These are European mistletoe, Viscum L., mulberry mistletoe, Loranthus L., and Phoredendron Nutt., which is the familiar one in Alabama. The other two are korthal mistletoe, Korthalsella v. Tiegh., which is apparently tropical, and dwarf mistletoe, Arceuthobium M. Bieb., which is generally found further north on conifers. Both European mistletoe and mulberry mistletoe are Old world genera. V.album L.,
is featured in lots of mythology, and the Druids considered it sacred while the reasons given vary from being evergreen, to the resemblance of the berries to semen. There are even some reported medical uses, but there are also more reports of toxicity with this species. It has also become a noxious weed in California.
Mulberry mistletoe is different from the usual evergreen mistletoe in that it is brightly colored, therefore, it is one of the likely candidates of the many things identified as the burning bush that Moses saw, and by his reaction it may have just expanded its range into that area, which is more plausible than the various Biblical claims made for cultivated edible plants that lack any archeological record, and even some New World plant species.
Oak mistletoe, Phoradendron eucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C. Johnst.,
is the mistletoe known to most people since it is almost the only species east of Texas. Like all other mistletoe it is a parasitic plant that grows
from the branches trees. Even though it is called oak mistletoe is can be found on other species of tree as was the case when I first saw it. A familiar use is for decoration due to the Christmas tradition of kissing
under the mistletoe. Out in the country such decorations often have
holes due to the use of shotguns to dislodge
mistletoe from upper branches of a tree. Caution should be taken when mistletoe is used for decorations due to some toxicity that is most notably reported with the old world
species.
The white berries are sticky if damaged, therefore, birds are reported to
disperse the seed that stick to their beaks by rubbing the seed into bark crevices on other
trees
