Mistletoe – medicine, mythology and marble moths

In addition to the well-known association of kissing under a sprig of mistletoe at Christmas, the plant has also been associated over the years with healing powers and fertility as well as a sign of peace and good luck.

Mistletoe has come to have symbolic importance in many cultures, and stories about the mysterious properties of mistletoe date back over many centuries, appearing in accounts of Greek and Norse mythology as well as pagan traditions. There are 1500 species of mistletoe, but Viscum album, commonly known as European mistletoe, is the one we tend to associate with Christmas in the UK. It mostly grows in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Somerset. However, a rare pocket of mistletoe has been established in Cornwall at Cotehele, the National Trust house and garden in South-East Cornwall.

Mistletoe favours trees in the Rosaceae family including apples, pears, almonds, plums and cherries and initially it can be quite difficult to establish, taking 10 to 15 years for a plant to reach the stage where it produces berries. The Tamar Valley is an area historically famed for its commercial growing, including apple and cherry orchards. Records show there have been fruit orchards at Cotehele since the 1700’s, although mistletoe is a relatively recent introduction to its trees. is a hemi-parasitic plant which means its roots grow below the bark of its host so that it can absorb food and water while it also produces leaves to enable it to carry out photosynthesis. The plant also plays an important role in supporting wildlife; although the waxy white berries are toxic to humans, several bird species enjoy eating them. They provide winter food for birds such as the blackcap and mistle thrush as well as supporting a total of six specialist insects, including the scarce mistletoe marble moth, some sap-sucking bugs and the mistletoe-appropriately named ‘kiss me slow weevil’ (Ixapion variegatum).

As mistletoe retains its leaves and produces berries in the winter when many plants and trees have shed their leaves and appear lifeless, it is easy to understand why it has captured the imagination of people and how it might have been attributed with magical life-giving powers in the past. Britain’s ancient druids may have used the plant in their winter solstice ceremonies and there are tales of druids cutting mistletoe from an oak tree with a golden sickle so that sprigs could be distributed to the people to suspend in the doorway to ward off evil forces and bring good luck. In Norse mythology there is a famous story about the god Baldr who was killed by the mischievous god Loki with a weapon made from mistletoe. Baldr the Beautiful dreamed about his own death and so his mother Frigg asked every plant and animal not to harm him. However, she overlooked mistletoe since it didn’t grow in the ground. Loki realized this and fashioned an arrow (or a spear) from the mistletoe and persuaded Baldr’s blind brother to use it on Baldr. After Baldr’s death, Frigg’s tears became mistletoe’s pearl-like berries, and it was agreed that mistletoe should become a symbol of peace and not be punished.

Mistletoe (Viscum album) has been an ingredient in traditional medicine for centuries; since the time of Hippocrates, physicians used it to treat a wide range of conditions from epilepsy to headaches, ulcers and arthritis. It is thought that the leaves, stems or berries were used to make a drink for some conditions, while other ailments would be treated by applying the substance to the skin as an ointment or a poultice.  There was even renewed interest in using mistletoe as a potential cancer treatment from the early 20th century.

The custom of kissing under the mistletoe is attributed to many different sources, from early myths, to its perceived aphrodisiac qualities, to part of a truce ritual between enemies. However, by the 18th century it seems to have become an accepted tradition that a kiss between a man and a woman under the mistletoe represented an intention of marriage. Also, if a girl declined a kiss while she was under the mistletoe, then superstition claimed she would not receive another proposal for a whole year. Another custom which now seems to have declined, used to involve removing a berry from the mistletoe after each kiss, and when all the berries were gone there could be no more kissing.

The idea of mistletoe as a symbol of peace has frequently appeared through the ages across many cultures, such as in France where at New Year it was often given as a ‘porte bonheur’ or lucky charm. During WW1 embroidered silk postcards made in France were sent home to England by British soldiers and at Christmas the card designs often incorporated mistletoe as a symbol of peace.

If you are looking for a sprig of mistletoe to complete your Christmas decorations, Cotehele has now started this year’s mistletoe harvest with sprigs on sale in the shop. All funds raised by donations for the mistletoe are ploughed back into helping to protect Cotehele’s orchards, including the new ‘Mother Orchard’, which contains 300 trees and 120 delicious apple varieties, and was planted in 2007 to establish a gene pool of heritage varieties.

Rosemary Best