When we observe the edges of forests, during a walk or a car trip, it is common to notice small balls of plants the size of footballs on certain trees. Explanations.
What are these plant balls in the trees?
You can sometimes observe balls of green foliage in certain trees such as apple trees, poplars or weeping willows. This is mistletoe (
viscum album
), a rootless plant from the viscaceae family. These plants are more easily visible when the trees no longer have leaves, between the beginning of autumn and the beginning of spring.
To know
Mistletoe is often confused with holly. The first has translucent white balls while the second has red fruits.
How does mistletoe get on trees?
In the majority of cases, mistletoe takes place on trees through birds and in particular thrushes. The latter feed on the berries of the plant which contains a seed. The latter 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 of mistletoe.
Should you remove mistletoe from trees?
Although it provides a food source for birds in winter, 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 mistletoe.