Mistletoe...

Mistletoe is very much associated with Christmas ....and kissing....and it is a very interesting plant. Semi- parasitic in nature, it sprouts from the branches of the host tree utilising nutrients and sap from the host, taking advantage of the light available high in the canopy.  It is spread by birds - it has long been thought that the mistle thrush was the prime facilitator, wiping the sticky flesh and seeds on branches as it fed. Increasingly it is now understood that blackcaps wintering in this country also use them as a source of food  and are responsible for their spread. Most of the mistletoe in my area of Buckinghamshire is high up in the trees and very visible in midwinter.....at least the height offers some protection from would-be foragers.It looks like large nests near the entrance to Weston Turville reservoir. The mistletoe in the first photograph
was growing on crab apple trees in a Copenhagen park.