I've talked about The Tradewinds Social Club, the bar that my friends have opened recently, and where little Goth Bob's cousin lives.... They have a rather pitiful tree in the parking lot... it's been cut down repeatedly so as not to block the Billboard. So the poor bedraggled thing is stunted and twisted and not in a cool bonsai-like way either.
It is also is heavily infested with parasitic mistletoe. I parked the truck next to it last night and climbed up in the bed to pick some... so that I could make these for the flea market...
I'll probably get a couple of bucks for each of them. Not bad when I get the plants free, the cellophane, the cotton (which is watered and wrapped around the bottom of the stems) and the little glitter twist ties at the dollar store. I'm sure that if I did the math, I would find that I've got less than 10 cents invested here...I've never been really sure why people are so fond of the stuff. It's really not that attractive a plant...
Not to mention that it's poisonous. I understand that some Native American peoples used a tea brewed from the leaves to induce miscarriage and perform abortions... but I really really don't think experimenting with it would be worth trying. I suspect it would be one of those potions that could just as easily kill the woman as well...I may, when I find the time, do a little research on the plant to find out some other interesting stuff...
UPDATE: I was doing a little research with the purpose of possibly writing a bit of info on this plant when I came upon this article on the U. S. Geological Survey site... quite frankly, it tells you everything I wanted to tell you, and more.
This is a cool plant - can it survive without the host ? And what do people do with the gift wrapped plant like this, hang it on X'mas tree ?
ReplyDeleteMistletoe is generally hung over doors and from light fixtures during the holiday season. The tradition is that anybody standing under the mistletoe gets a kiss... There are many romance novels where the heroine tends to linger hopefully under a sprig.
ReplyDeleteThis is usually explained as a leftover pagan tradition, associated with the ancient holiday of Yule, that held on after Christianity took over.
The plant is a true parasite, digging it's roots into the living wood of the tree, and cannot survive off the host tree. I'll see if I can get a shot of it growing on a branch soon... it tends to grow in oak trees mostly, but some other trees host it also.
very cool- makes me want to check out the trees near my office that are just full of the stuff.
ReplyDeleteMistletoe sounds a lot better than the translation of its old English name, dung on a twig, as pointed out in the article. Great link, by the way. Seems like the author is in favor of letting the plant grow unimpeded since it's thought to help out its host with photosynthesis during the winter months. Your ornaments should sell well at the market. I would buy one if I were there.
ReplyDelete