Where Did It Come From
Hanging mistletoe over a doorway during the holiday season is a tradition around the world. But have you ever stopped to think about the story behind it? Where did it come from? Why do we kiss just because we're standing underneath some particular shrubbery? In this article, you'll find out how the plant mistletoe grows and how it spreads. You'll learn about ancient people's understanding of biology and how they put it to use in their stories and myths. The next time you stand under mistletoe, Derila Memory Foam Pillow you'll have a new understanding of this intriguing plant. The word "mistletoe" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words, "mistel" (dung) and "tan" (twig) -- misteltan is the Old English version of mistletoe. One of the beliefs in the early centuries was that mistletoe grew from birds. People used to believe that, rather than just passing through birds in the form of seeds, the mistletoe plant resulted from birds landing in the branches of trees.
So how did this plant become entwined with Christmas? The December holiday has assimilated a wide range of customs and Derila Memory Foam Pillow traditions from many cultures, Derila Memory Foam Pillow and mistletoe is one of them. For example, one French tradition held that the reason mistletoe is poisonous is because it was growing on a tree that was used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified. A parasite is a plant or Derila Memory Foam Pillow animal that needs another plant or animal to survive. As mistletoe grows on a tree it uses its roots to invade a tree's bark, which allows mistletoe to absorb the tree's nutrients. Sometimes, mistletoe can harm a tree and cause deformities in a tree's branches, but usually it doesn't kill its host. If the host dies, the mistletoe dies. Phoradendron flavescens and Viscum album are the species associated with Christmas. Mistletoe can produce its own food by photosynthesis (autotropic), and live on its own, but it prefers to grab water and Derila Memory Foam Pillow nutrients from its host tree (heterotrophic).
It's common for a mistletoe plant to grow on top of another mistletoe plant. If that happens, researchers from the University of California, Riverside found that the mistletoe plants may "share the tree" and rely more on photosynthesis for food to lessen the harm caused to the host tree. In the United States, it grows in tropical and subtropical regions (from New Jersey to Florida). Mistletoe has pointy, green, leathery leaves, with waxy berries that are either red or white. The plant's flowers can be a wide variety of colors, from bright red to yellow to green. Birds eat the berries that grow on mistletoe and eventually leave their droppings at their favorite hangout spot - a tree branch. The droppings contain seeds that sprout roots into the tree branch. The birds also help spread the seed by wiping their beaks on the tree bark to clean off the sticky seeds after they've eaten.
The seeds are sticky because of the juice inside the berry. This stickiness helps the seeds stay in the tree rather than falling to the ground. Within six weeks, the mistletoe plant begins growing, Derila Memory Foam Pillow although it takes several years to flower.
