Property News · December 14, 2016

Mistletoe and other plant parasites


Mistletoe isn’t the only plant parasite you can grow in your garden: these vampires of the plant world come in all colours and sizesMistletoe brings green life to the bare trees of winter and is a symbol of fertility and renewal in the darkest days of the year.Mistletoe gains part of the nutrition it needs through stealing nutrients and water from its host plant. In the case of the european Mistletoe (Viscum album), apple, hawthorn and poplar trees are the preferred hosts, but it is known to grow on many other species too. It gains the nutrients and water it needs by both photosynthesising and by sending specialised roots called haustoria deep into its host tree’s vascular tissue. Continue reading…

Source : theguardian.com
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