A Different Mistletoe

This time of year American Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) sometimes comes to mind. It is often seen around here, in a Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) in our tiny town, or up here in the mountains in our native trees. Many places. There’s another one that I’m familiar with.

This one a Juniper Mistletoe (Phoradendron juniperinum) found at Zion National Park in Utah. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. And like American Mistletoe it is a parasite, living on their host plants taking water and nutrients from them to survive.

And there are oodles of species (1300) known worldwide.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.