Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Mistletoe


In red oak tree.

6 comments:

schell said...

I don't know if I've ever seen it growing wild before. I don't think I have.

emma said...

me either Schell.
I'd like a close-up

Ded said...

It's common over much of the southeast, isn't it, Sheila?...typical as bittersweet is here in the trees in New England. But don't worry, Em and Schell, with global warming, it will soon be in a hardwood forest near you.

sheila222 said...

Emma, I went to look our of second story window to see if I could get a closer shot, but it is still up a story and out about 20 feet, so,, sorry, no closeup. I don't have a super duper camera. Amazingly, parts seldom fall off of it,, you would sort of think you could see some occassionally on the ground, but the only time I have seen it is after an ice storm or hurricane. Ded, yes- it is not an unusual sight down here at all. It seems to be slow growing, it has taken years for it to attain that size. We had it also in SE Ohio, but not as common. Below is a link that says southern Ohio is the northernmost range.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/kidsthings/natthing200812/mistletoe1208/tabid/21268/Default.aspx

Ded said...

I recall getting a bit turned around in the woods of central Virginia several winters ago and seeing nothing but mistletoe in the tops of trees. I recall thinking, "What if Bert was here? What if Bert was with me under these trees?" Funny the things that come to mind when you are lost and hungry and five miles from your car.

Rosary said...

Mistletoe was common in Oklahoma. Each fall the trees would drop their leaves and in the midst of the scraggly, brown tree tops would be brilliant dark green balls of mistletoe. It's not uncommon here in Arkansas either.