Mistletoe is best known for its role in holiday festivities, as seen on this Christmas card from 1886, and it features in ancient lore of many cultures, whether Celtic druids or Scandinavian gods.

A parasitic plant with potentially poisonous berries might not sound like something that would boost your Christmas decorations to the next level. But, botanically speaking, that’s what mistletoe is.

Mistletoe has many mythic associations, but the most popular by far is the Christmas tradition of compelling people to kiss under it. With white, red, or pink berries, and its romantic associations, ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world’s hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. The mistletoe plant is largely known for a manufactured characteristic: It’s the green ...

When you’re rocking around the Christmas tree looking for the mistletoe, did you know the best spot for a holiday kiss is under a parasitic plant named after poop? Mistletoe might be a merry moocher ...

You might be wondering if, as parasites, mistletoes are harmful. It can be complicated, but yes, to the host tree, they can ...

The plant mistletoe has been associated with Christmas and kissing. Where did this tradition originate, and what is mistletoe? Mistletoe is a plant with pointy, green, leathery leaves, with waxy ...

Some plants are so entwined with tradition that it’s impossible to think of one without the other. Mistletoe is such a plant. But set aside the kissing custom and you’ll find a hundred and one reasons ...

If you want to brighten up a doorway with a little Christmas cheer, you can’t go wrong with a sprig of mistletoe. With more than 1,000 species around the world, mistletoe is generally easy to find and ...