In Australia, there are 97 different native species of mistletoe which grow mainly on Eucalyptus trees.

They are semi-parasitic and because of this, it is commonly thought that mistletoe kills trees – which is not the case. (More about this fact below…)

Mistletoe have green leaves which photosynthesis, producing food for the plant and they do obtain water and minerals from the host plant.

This lifestyle allows the mistletoe to flower almost all year round, even during dry times, so it is an important source of food and shelter for birds, possums and gliders.

Many pollinators, birds and insects, rely on mistletoe for their survival.

Mistletoe is spread by birds, especially the mistletoe bird which eat the fruit, then pass out a seed in a sticky mass on the branch of another tree, where the seed can then develop.

Dr Watson, a plant biologist from Charles Sturt University, as of December 2019 – is about halfway through a 25-year study based in native woodland around Albury, NSW.

“Essentially, we removed naturally occurring mistletoe from every tree across half of our study sites and left them at the other half.”

Preliminary results were quite startling: the areas without mistletoe lost a third of their previous bird diversity. [Preliminary study results here.]

As mentioned earlier it is commonly believed that mistletoe kills trees…

Mistletoe needs trees to survive so it can thrive.  Healthy trees are not killed by mistletoe.

Trees with mistletoe do die, but there are usually several factors working against trees whose deaths are mistakenly credited to mistletoe.

Drought, water logging, over-clearing leading to the ground being trampled by stock, loss of soil fungi and bacteria from the use of chemical fertilisers or ploughing are all major factors in the death of trees.

In a healthy ecosystem possums, gliders and birds will eat the mistletoe as part of their normal diet. When land is cleared, with only a few trees left, the animals which browse on mistletoe are lost and mistletoe may become dominant.

Many believe that mistletoe should be removed from trees. This is not the case.

Most mistletoe clumps will live in harmony with their hosts for the life of the tree.

Sometimes mistletoe clumps will break off the tree because they are dense and heavy, but this dense foliage will provide food for birds and animals and will boost the population of native species in the area.

It also provides homes for beetles, insects, spiders, moths and butterflies. Twenty-four bird species have been recorded nesting in mistletoe including the critically endangered Regent Honey Eater.

It’s been found that mistletoe die-off was widespread during times of high temperatures and low rainfall and it’s also been found birds relied more on mistletoes as a food source during those same times.

The leaves of the mistletoe are rich in nutrients and as they drop to the ground they provide nutrition for the tree and also shrubs and grasses growing nearby.

Mistletoe should be left to grow on its host tree and if possible, in agricultural areas, trees should be grown in clumps with connecting corridors, so native birds and animals can travel from clump to clump, supporting each other in a healthy ecosystem.

Yes, you guessed correctly – anywhere on the land that we protect   with the generous support of those like you —  mistletoe is left as is.

From the Botanic Gardens of Sydney website:

Mistletoe is most popularly known through its place in ancient legends and mythology, and its widespread use in folk medicine. Given it calls Australia home, it is also important to many Aboriginal people.

“For some Aboriginal people, mistletoe was primarily a source of food because their sticky fruits are sweet.

The medical properties of particular species were even used to treat common colds,” said Botanist, Dr, Robert Barrett.

“Mistletoe is is also very soft-stemmed and you can peel back its layers like an onion. This means they are very fire-sensitive and they act as an important indicator for the condition of country to Aboriginal people,”
said Dr Barrett.

The Western Australian Christmas tree is particularly sacred to the Noongar Aboriginal people in Perth because it is a transit point for dead spirits and is intimately connected to the afterlife. A Noongar elder explains that ‘A spirit sits on the tree until it flowers. Then the spirit moves on to the spirit world in conjunction with easterly winds and fire, which take the spirit out over the sea.’

We need your help to continue to protect precious habitats in New South Wales.

Save Our Woodlands has secured 4 significant tracks of land but funding is still needed for each.

Additionally, we are raising funds to build 4 km of wildlife-friendly fencing to keep stock out of precious and protected in perpetuity habitats of endangered and at risk species.