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Viscum album - L.
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| Common Name
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Mistletoe
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| Family
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Viscaceae
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| Synonyms
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| Known Hazards
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All parts of the plant are poisonous[10, 19], though the toxicity level is very slight[65].
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| Habitats
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Grows on the branches of many trees, especially poplars, apples, chestnut and birch and especially on calcareous soils[7, 17]. Not usually found on conifers[17].
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| Range
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Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, central Asia and Japan.
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Edibility Rating 
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| Medicinal Rating
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| | Care
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| Physical Characteristics
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An evergreen Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in).
It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Feb to April, and the seeds ripen from Nov to December. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required)The plant is not self-fertile.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.
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| Habitats
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Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
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| Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Fruit.
The ripe fruit is edible[272]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity[K].
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| Medicinal Uses
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Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antispasmodic; Cardiac; Cytostatic; Diuretic; Hypotensive; Narcotic; Nervine; Stimulant; Tonic; Vasodilator.
Mistletoe is chiefly used to lower blood pressure and heart rate, ease anxiety and promote sleep. In low doses it can also relieve panic attacks and headaches, and also improves the ability to concentrate[254]. The plant's efficacy as an anticancer treatment has been subject to a significant amount of research - there is no doubt that certain constituents of the plant , especially the viscotoxins, exhibit an anticancer activity but the value of the whole plant in cancer treatment is not fully accepted[254]. It is said that the constituents of mistletoe vary according to the host plant it is growing on - that found on oak trees is said to be superior[238]. Because of the potential side effects, this plant should only be used internally under the guidance of a skilled practitioner. Using the plant internally can provoke intolerant reactions to certain substances[7].
The leaves and young twigs contain several medically active compounds[279]. They are antispasmodic, cardiac, cytostatic, diuretic, hypotensive, narcotic, nervine, stimulant, tonic and vasodilator[4, 7, 19, 21, 46, 66, 165, 238, 279]. They are harvested just before the berries form and are dried for later use[4]. Mistletoe has a reputation for curing epilepsy and other convulsive nervous disorders[4]. The effect of the correct dosage is to lessen and temporarily benumb the nervous activity that causes the spasms, but larger doses can produce the problem[4]. Mistletoe has also been employed in checking internal haemorrhages, in treating high blood pressure and in treating cancer of the stomach, lungs and ovaries[4, 9, 238, 279]. Externally, the plant has been used to treat arthritis, rheumatism, chilblains, leg ulcers and varicose veins[238].
A homeopathic remedy is made from equal quantities of the berries and leaves[4]. It is difficult to make because of the viscidity of the sap[4].
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| Cultivation details
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A parasitic plant, growing on the branches of several deciduous species of trees. It is not usually found on coniferous trees, though the subspecies V. album abietis is found on conifers, especially Abies spp, whilst V. album austriacum is found on pine and larix.
The host tree must be at least 20 years old[200]. Although the host branch might eventually succumb, the host tree is seldom killed[200].
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| Propagation
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This is a parasitic plant that grows entirely on the host tree. To grow it you need to obtain berries and squash them onto the branches of host trees in late autumn and early winter[11]. This is best done on the lower side of the branch[1]. It is then simply a matter of waiting and hoping.
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| Botanical References
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| 1117200
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| Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
| [1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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| Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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| [4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
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| Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
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| [7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.
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| Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
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| [9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.
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| Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
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| [11]Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
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| A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
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| [17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
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| A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
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| [19]Stary. F. Poisonous Plants.
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| Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.
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| [21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
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| Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
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| [46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
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| An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
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| [66]Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery.
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| Very readable, giving details on plant uses based on the authors own experiences.
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| [165]Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
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| An excellent small herbal.
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| [200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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| Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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| [238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
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| A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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| [254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
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| An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
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| [272]Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal
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| Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
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| [279] Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea
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| An excellent book with terse details about the medicinal uses of the plants with references to scientific trials. All plants are described, illustrated and brief details of habitats given.
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