Whatever happened to .........

Mistletoe …………

seemed to be hanging in everyone’s house at Christmas time many years ago,

but now it’s a very expensive Christmas decoration!

On a recent visit to Badgers Hill Farm & Cidery, these picture’s were taken of mistletoe growing on an apple tree.

             

Badgers Hill Farm & Cidery is on the A252
Maidstone to Canterbury Road at Chilham, Kent.

Mistletoe - Viscum album, is an ancient, well-known plant, often associated with Christmas.

Mistletoe is unusual in that it is does not grow in the soil. It is a parasitic plant, growing on trees such as domestic apple,

crab apple, lime, black poplar, hawthorn, crack willow, ash, sycamore, pear, whitebeam.

Although it takes some minerals and water from its host, it will not harm an established healthy tree.