Mistletoe’s Dirty Little Secret

It may be to early for your Christmas tree but it is never to early to hang Mistletoe. This twiggy leafed plant with tiny white berries has been the reason many of us have stolen a kiss or two during the holiday season. But did you know that Mistletoe is considered a parasite? That's right the greenery with a red bow that we hang in doorways during Christmas and New Years is nothing more than a mooch.

Thanks to "The Spruce" I now know a lot more about this not so innocent hanging decoration. You can read the full low down on the button below but in short, it is poisonous, it is associated with accident rituals that included sacrifice and it can't even grow on its own. It needs a host tree to make it come to life.

So before you hop under the mistletoe this holiday season to steal a kiss you might want to do a background check on your plant or just go with the artificial version for everyone's safety.