European Mistletoe (Viscum album)
Family: Santalaceae (Sandalwood Family)
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern
Native to western and southwestern Asia as well as almost all of Europe, European Mistletoe is a hemiparasite, meaning that in addition to producing nutrients independently through photosynthesis it also meets part of its nutritional needs parasticially, growing attached to the branches of trees and forcing its roots into the internal vessels of its hosts to steal nutrients and water. After settling and maturing on a host tree, members of this species produce tiny pale-yellow flowers between February and April (with each individual plant producing either pollen-producing "male" flowers or seeds-producing "female" flowers,) and after being pollinated by small insects "female" flowers develop into round, typically white berries (although a small number of individuals instead produce yellow berries.) Unlike many plants within its range, European Mistletoe bears fruit during the winter (possibly as an adaptation to avoid having to compete with fruit-bearing host trees) and as such while the berries of this species are poisonous to most mammals many birds rely heavily on them as a winter food source, carrying the seeds within them away from their "mother" to allow them to spread to new trees. Each berry contains a single seed surrounded by an extremely sticky pulp, and after being swallowed and eventually excreted in a bird's droppings this pulp allows the seeds to adhere to branches, where they will eventually germinate, force their way into the nutrients-filled internal vessels of their host and begin their development into adulthood.
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Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/57512-Viscum-album
