mistletoe

[Catwheazle]

Hello, does anyone have seeds of mistletoe here?
They should - I believe - now sewn (glued to the branches)?
I have heard that they specialize in special trees. Have a decent size here but only apple tree, plum and pear tree.
Thank you!
Bernd

[François Lambert]

They grow on a wide variety of trees.  I see them rowing mstly on poplars & linden trees over here

see also my post earlier this year : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=16075.msg387709#msg387709

I will check in the park if there are any fruits on the soil.

[Catwheazle]

Great  thx

[Ali Baba]

The seeds mature around late March to early April, at which point many will be starting to germinate inside the berry. Picking berries before then is likely to result in failure.
If sown when properly ripe viscum album is readily grown on apple. I managed about 50% establishment on an old apple tree on my allotment a few years ago, out of 50 seeds 'sown'.
I have also established mistletoe on an ornamental apple in my garden, although that proved more difficult. I have berries, if the birds leave any I'd be happy to send you a few in a couple of months.
Alternatively you can buy ripe berries on line, which is where I got mine from (it is commonest at the top of old lime trees around here so very difficult to collect!):
https://englishmistletoeshop.co.uk/live/

[Catwheazle]

Many Thanks! Now I know why it never worked out in my attempts.

[François Lambert]

OK, i went to the park and found already some fruits on the soil and picked these, but apparently that is still too early :-(

They are from a mistletoe growing on an old & almost dead apple tree.

Anyway, I go regularly the park to walk with the dog, so I will check towards the end of March if there are any fruits on the soil.  As you can see on the pic; close to this apple tree there are big linden trees covered with mistletoe, so there should be a good chance to find fruits there later this spring.

[Catwheazle]

Oh, great :-) Many thanks ... also for the picture

[brianw]

Apart from the date indication, can someone tell me what colour the seed are when ripe. I found a lot on the ground under a local tree. All very sticky of course but the seed are more green than brown. If I go back later any will be more difficult to find when the undergrowth has increased. Does the size of the seed tell me anything?
Another surprise was an Earth Star fungus in amongst them. That would have seemed a little out of season too for me? Must go back with a camera.

[Catwheazle]

thanks to all for their help :-)

Bernd

[Gail]

Amazing - I've not seen it at the germinating stage before.

[AnJo11]

...me neither, and it makes me want to try ...

[ashley]

Germinating here too, on apple, cotoneaster, oak, liquidamber and horse chestnut.
However I lost many seeds (50-70%), maybe to birds despite a wire sleeve or to slugs/snails.
I might try some more next year to ensure both female & male plants at each site.

[Catwheazle]

meanwhile connection to tree is made.
Think there will be no change till next spring.
Will update ...
Bernd

[AnJo11]

wondrfull  and very interesting.
I thought that the passage through the digestive system of birds was necessary for germination ...
this proves that the bird is only a vector, not a mandatory factor.

[brianw]

This website has a lot of info.
http://mistletoe.org.uk/homewp/index.php/grow-your-own/

I have a male plant on an old apple tree in my garden (no berries) and the plant is very common in this area. Berries are usually well above 20' here but the birds drop them around the trunks in very early spring. By the time they are ripe it is very difficult to find them in the lush growth. Tried keeping early collected berries indoors but they die too quickly under any conditions I have tried so far. Did find an Earth Star fungus amongst them this year so worth the attempt.