...you want to kiss me under THAT?!That is mistletoe as we see it here in The Frozen State. Mistletoe is a small, nondescript parasitic plant that makes the branches of its host grow all funny. Like this tamarack.
I stayed home today, having endured the previous night with a stomach bug that also made me ache and gave me the chills. Fun. I was under every wool blanket in the house and still shivering at one point. I am feeling better now. I went for a drive this afternoon, hoping to see some great gray owls or something. Of course, when you go looking for them, they're not there. I did see and hear the robins that are STILL hanging around our woods.
7 comments:
REALLY? I didn't even know that we had mistletoe growing here in the state.
I'm a BAD Minnesotan...
Sorry you had the crud and glad you're feeling better. When you see your Great Gray I wanna know about it!
Is that the same variety that supposedly only grows in the southern most valleys of Missouri?
Lynne and Pablo- According to the Minnesota DNR website, the only mistletoe in Minnesota is dwarf mistletoe, and it is a common parasite of black spruce and occasionally white spruce and tamarack. It's not leafy like the Christmas mistletoe.
Wow, Deb, I'm with Lynne! I had no clue! I've seen many of those, what I call witches brooms. Did not know that was from the dwarf mistletoe. I am so impressed with your knowledge! Hunkerd down for the storm, here. Got a new book. Gunflint. Sure hope you keep that icky stuff up there.
Cindy- I did not know knowledge about dwarf mistletoe was so limited! Yes, those are the "witches brooms".
Who wrote your Gunflint book? We have two books, one autographed, by Justine Kerfoot, who ran the Gunflint Lodge for many years. It has been way too long since we have been there.
Deb, the book is titled Gunflint, the trail, the people, the stories. Written by John Henricksson. He was director of tourism from 1952-1962 in MN. Stay warm up there.
I'm not sure if its too late for you to be reading my comment but I have a question. I have things that look like mistletoe that are not evergreen and are not growing on evergreens. I'm pretty sure they have leaves in the summer but can't say 100%. Is there any other type of parasitic plant that loses its leaves in the winter that grows on non evergreen trees? (I live in Pennsylvania)
Post a Comment