Dec 10 2005 Sally Williams, Western Mail
KISSES under the mistletoe could be rare in Wales this Christmas because rustlers are killing off what's left of the threatened festive plant, conservationists warned yesterday.
Mistletoe used to be widespread throughout Monmouthshire, and was fairly common in Torfaen and Newport, especially in orchards, hedgerows and ancient trees.
But due to its rising commercial value, mistletoe is being stolen and sold at markets to unwitting members of the public.
It is being lost through too-aggressive pruning from the host trees it grows on and is being killed off together when old hedgerows and orchards are ripped out.
Gemma Bode, Gwent Wildlife Trust conservation manager, said, "There are cases of 'mistletoe rustling', and once the whole plant has been removed from its host tree it won't grow back again because of its quite complex life cycle.
"But the real culprit is loss of habitat - old orchards.
"Apple trees are the plant's favourite hosts and we have lost a lot of old orchards either due to individual landowners clearing them, seeing no value to them anymore, or to make way for new houses and roads. We are not sure how much mistletoe is affected by its annual 'cut'.
"But if people have mistletoe on trees they should obviously not take the whole plant but just little cuttings.
"We want people to appreciate how mistletoe got on to the tree and the fact that it is becoming less common now."
Good crops of mistletoe can still be found in parts of Monmouthshire and the trust stresses it doesn't want people to stop taking cuttings but to be sure they do not take the whole plant.
Mistletoe is not usually harmful to the plants on which it grows and its berries are an important source of winter food for thrushes and other birds.
The trust is urging land-owners and farmers to work with their local authority and ecologist, to help protect mistletoe from the threats it faces. Mistletoe berries help birds survive the winters when other food is scarce.
The Druids believed that mistletoe could perform miracles, from providing fertility to humans and animals to healing diseases and protecting people from witchcraft.
They would cut mistletoe off oak trees in a special ceremony after the winter solstice.
The correct mistletoe etiquette is for a man to remove one berry when he kisses a woman. When all the berries are gone, there is no more kissing underneath that sprig.
Cherish mistletoe or kiss it goodbye
Dec 13 2005 Western Mail
Mistletoe comes into our homes once a year at Christmas, and has its own day, December 1, to celebrate one of our most unusual plants. Here Steven Rogers, conservation officer with Gwent Wildlife Trust, considers the unusual role this plant plays in our lives and the threats it now faces
MISTLETOE is one of Britain's best-known, but least understood plants and at Christmas time we all look forward to, or brace ourselves for "a kiss under the mistletoe". But, it's at this time of year that mistletoe is most under threat.
Mistletoe used to be very common throughout the old county of Monmouthshire, and was fairly common in Torfaen and Newport, especially in orchards, hedgerows and ancient trees.
However, due to its commercial value, mistletoe is "rustled" - that is stolen - and sold to unwitting members of the public.
But, it's not only at Christmas time that mistletoe is threatened. It is also being lost through pruning from the trees where it grows, trees containing mistletoe may be cut down on building sites or for new roads, and the removal of farm hedgerows and orchards has also led to it being less widespread.
Mistletoe is not usually harmful to the plants on which it grows and its berries are an important source of winter food for thrushes and other birds.
So, if you are lucky enough to have mistletoe on your land, do not cut it from your trees or hedges (although, a small amount for Christmas will be OK).
And, if friends and neighbours have it on their land, tell them it's precious and should be looked after.
Most importantly of all, report the presence of mistletoe to the ecologist at your local authority. They can then offer advice on how you can help protect it from the threats it faces.
Mistletoe got its name in the second century from the Anglo Saxon Mistle (=dung) and Tan (=twig). It is a parasitic plant of trees, particularly hardwoods like oak and apple, and it is easy to spot in winter because its leaves stay green all year round.
The latin name Viscum album refers to the berries which are white (album) and these contain a sticky viscous fluid (Viscum).
It spreads via birds, especially flocks of winter thrushes, who eat the berries and in turn deposit their seed-rich droppings as they move from tree to tree. 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.
Mistletoe is familiar to everyone at Christmas time, but it also has a history deeply embedded in ancient lore.
The Druids believed that it could perform miracles, from providing fertility to humans and animals to healing diseases and protecting people from witchcraft. They would cut mistletoe off oak trees in a special ceremony following the winter solstice.
Priests gave out the mistletoe sprigs to the people, who believed they would then be kept safe from evil spirits and storms.
They also saw it as a sexual symbol, because of the consistency and colour of the berry juice.
So, why do we kiss under the mistletoe? This tradition could have come from either the Viking association of the plant with Frigga, the goddess of love, or from the ancient belief that mistletoe enhances fertility.
The correct mistletoe etiquette is for a man to remove one berry when he kisses a woman. When all the berries are gone, there is no more kissing underneath that plant. It was believed that an unmarried woman not kissed under the mistletoe would remain single for another year.
Mistletoe also has reputed medicinal powers traced back to the fifth century BC.
It has been used to treat hypertension and osteoarthritis. Together with blackthorn it was used to strengthen the "tired", weakened heart. It was also used for attacks of dizziness, epileptic states and as an ointment for sores and festering wounds.
More recently, laboratory studies have suggested that mistletoe may enhance the activity of the immune system so that it releases more of the chemicals that damage cancer cells.
But, it is also a poison and eating mistletoe can cause severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea, and in some cases can be fatal.
So, mistletoe is valuable to us for many reasons: it provides the opportunity for a kiss at Christmas, it's a traditional, but diminishing part of the countryside, its berries help birds survive the winters when other food is scarce and it may prove to be a very important medicine
If you have lots of mistletoe on your land or in your area, your local authority ecologist would like to know. If you would like to know more about how to protect mistletoe, Gwent Wildlife Trust or your local authority biodiversity officer can provide you with a leaflet that covers all the facts. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.wildlifetrusts.org.uk/gwent
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