Mistletoe is an essential decoration at any adorable holiday party. But if you knew about mistletoes true origins, youd be less than tickled by its presence. Trust us.Mistletoe is a semiparasitic plant that attaches to trees and sucks out their water and nutrients. Trees afflicted with mistletoe die prematurely, thanks to these giant parasitic ballsthat grab onto branches and weigh up to 50 pounds, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Mistletoe berries are poisonous to humans and many animals. In short,this plant is anything but romantic IRL:Youll never guess where mistletoe got its name.Mistletoe is the general name for some 1,300 species of plantsthat grow all over the world, from the Amazon to the California desert. We dont know for sure, but one theory goes that the name comes from the German words mist, or dung, and tang,orbark, because many species of mistletoe rely on bird poo to spread their seeds. As Scientific Americanexplains:The seeds are large and extremely sticky, coated in a sugary molecule called viscin. The seeds can either get stuck to the birds beaks, who then rub them against tree bark to get them off, or can be digested and pooped out onto trees, still sticky after their transit through the birds digestive system.But of course, feces isnt the only way mistletoe spreads from tree to tree. Dwarf mistletoes use fluid pressure to singlehandedlyshoot their seeds into the worldat speeds of nearly 50 miles per hour, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.Sinister.And heres the strange reason we kiss under it.Mistletoes reputation for romance likely comes from a Nordic mythin which the goddess of love tries to prevent her sons death by begging every plant and animal not to harm him. Unfortunately, she forgets to ask mistletoe, and the plant leads to her sons demise. Some versions of this legend say the son is ultimately resurrected, and others say he isnt. In any case,the goddess deems mistletoe a symbol of love for all time and promises a kiss to anyone who passes beneath it. The Brits took this mainstreamin the 18th or 19th century, when they started kissing under mistletoe at Christmas parties.OK, so mistletoe isnt totally terrible.Many ancient cultures considered the plant to be a healing agent for ailments like menstrual cramps, epilepsy and ulcers, History notes. Suzanne Somersused drugs with mistletoe extract to treat her cancer in the early 2000s, even though its effectiveness as a cancer medication is not proven, according to the National Cancer Institute.Mistletoe isnt a total demon in nature, either. While it steals water and food from trees, mistletoe can also make some of its own foodthanks to chlorophyll. It also provides homes for birds, squirrels and butterflies.Wanna harvest your own'The U.S. government actuallyprovides instructions on how to cut your own mistletoeout of trees. Youll need to find an afflicted tree and bring along some sheers or maybe a pruning pole. If youre like some mistletoe pros, you can even leave a thank-you gift to the tree.Happy parasitic holidays! -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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