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Phoradendron leucarpum
Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C. Johnst.
Oak Mistletoe, Mistletoe
Viscaceae (Christmas Mistletoe Family)
Synonym(s): Phoradendron eatonii, Phoradendron flavescens, Phoradendron flavescens var. orbiculatum, Phoradendron macrotomum, Phoradendron serotinum, Phoradendron serotinum var. macrotomum, Viscum flavescens
USDA Symbol: PHLE14
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Semi-parasitic shrub with short, interrupted, axillary clusters of tiny yellow flowers on smooth, green, jointed stems.
This is the common Mistletoe hung at Christmastime. The genus name derives from the Greek phor "a thief," and "dendron" "tree," and refers to their getting at least some nourishment from the trees on which they grow. The fruits are covered with a sticky substance poisonous to man, but relished by such birds as cedar waxwings and bluebirds. The birds spread the seeds through their droppings and by wiping their beaks on branches, where a new plant may become established. The small, northern Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum), has short yellow-green stems 1" (2.5 cm) long, with leaves reduced to thin brown scales.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Subshrub
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , YellowBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WVNative Distribution: New Jersey and Pennsylvania south to Florida and west to West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and eastern Texas.
Native Habitat: Parasitic on branches of deciduous trees exposed to sun.
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Phoradendron leucarpum in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Phoradendron leucarpum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Phoradendron leucarpum
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-05-25Research By: TWC Staff