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To most people, mistletoe means an excuse to steal a kiss at Christmas time. But that's just one of many traditions that have been associated with this curious, parasitic plant.
According to the current issue of National Wildlife magazine, "for centuries, people all over the world have considered mistletoe to be a charm against disease, witchcraft and infertility."
Mistletoe superstitions probably came about because of the unusual and rather eerie way in which the plant grows.
Mistletoe flourishes in clumps on the trunks and branches of various hardwood trees, where it robs its host tree of water and nutrients.
Often, the host tree is so weakened that it dies. But since mistletoe can produce its own food when necessary, the parasite remains green and moist.
Because they were unable to explain how mistletoe grew, ancient civilizations believed the pl^nt had supernatural 'powers. Peasants in both England and Japan believed that barren women would be able to conceive after eating mistletoe.
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