Mistletoe is often confused with holly. The first has translucent white balls while the second has red fruits.
Mistletoe has a reputation for being a semi-parasitic plant because it creates its own sap. For its survival, it uses the resources it needs such as water and different nutrients from the host tree. The latter finds itself deprived of part of the resources necessary for its survival and, consequently, its growth is slowed down. It is therefore preferable not to let the mistletoe settle in with its host and to check regularly if it has not returned. During this operation, it is recommended to wear gloves, due to the toxicity of mistle toe. The majority of cases, mistletoe takes place on trees through birds and in particular thrushes. They feed on the berries of the plant which contains a seed. The seed is rejected by the bird via its droppings and is deposited on the trees, where the thrushes rest between two flights. Then this seed grows on the branch to form another ball ofMistletoe.