Over 1,700 species of the parasitic plant grow around the globe Tess Joosse This holiday season, you might be hoping to catch someone under the mistletoe — or maybe that’s a prospect you’d like to ...

For many people, mistletoe is a pest, while for others, it is a symbol of Christmas cheer. The origin of mistletoe as a Yuletide symbol came from the Norse and the Druids. Both had traditions that ...

Mistletoe is a richly symbolic winter plant with an unusual life cycle. With more than half of England's traditional orchards lost since the mid-20th century, it would be easy to assume mistletoe is ...

American Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens) by Mary Vaux Walcott, 1923. (Image courtesy Smithsonian American Art Museum) When you’re caught under the mistletoe, the tradition is to kiss the person ...

During the holidays, mistletoe is famous for helping couples sneak a smooch under a strategically hung sprig. But long before Christ was born, Druids, Greeks and other ancients knew the plant as a ...

Mistletoe. If there's one holiday plant that seems simple and straightforward, it's this famous "kissing" decoration. Nothing could be further from the truth. Delving further, we must look at the ...

There are so many meaningful Christmas symbols and wonderful Christmas traditions around the world that people enjoy every holiday season. After all, what is Christmas without exchanging gifts or ...