Mistletoe - the very word conjures up Christmas festivities, couples kissing beneath its branches, as well as a long history in myth and legend. While mistletoe possesses a "kiss of death" stigma due to its presumed toxicity, in the past it was recommended as a cure for various diseases. The word mistletoe actually covers two distinct plants: the European version - Viscum album and the native American plant - Phoradendron leucarpum. In most cases, when the name "mistletoe" is used it refers to the European version, Viscum album, rather than the American species. However, each type functions as a parasite growing on the branches of oaks, various fruit trees, and shrubs in temperate and tropical climates. While mistletoe does support itself with limited photosynthesis, the species must tap into the plumbing system of the hosts to obtain water.

Moving back in time, the Gauls and the Druids both held mistletoe in high esteem due to its association with oaks - a tree they considered sacred. According to history, if enemies met under the mistletoe, they were required to lay down their arms and observe a truce until the next day. Also, at the end of the year, Druids gathered mistletoe and hung the plant in their homes to guarantee a prosperous coming year. The idea of kissing beneath the mistletoe probably had its beginnings in Norse and Anglo-Saxon legends. One story goes that the god of peace was slain by an arrow made of mistletoe. So saddened were the other gods and goddesses that they asked he be returned to life. Upon his resurrection, the goddess of love decreed that anyone who passed under the mistletoe receive a kiss as a sign of love.

On the medicinal side, Pliny and Galen recommended mistletoe for the treatment of cancer, while herbals in the 1830s suggested doses of mistletoe would cure epilepsy, convulsive disorders, vertigo, and dysentery. In addition, Thomas Culpeper in his 1835 Complete Herbal suggested mixing dried mistletoe with rosin and wax to cure hardness of the spleen and old ulcers or sores. Today, mistletoe has been suggested as an alternative medicine for protection against high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and hypertension. Combined with ginkgo, linden flowers, motherwort, hawthorn, or Indian tobacco, mistletoe forms a cardiac tonic used to stimulate circulation and strengthen the cardiovascular system. However, all of these remedies caution that mistletoe may have toxic side effects and should only be taken under the supervision of a physician.

But, just how accurate is the American mistletoe's "kiss of death" reputation? A 1997 study undertaken with data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers for the years 1985-1992 revealed a rather unexpected outcome. For all cases studied, there were no fatalities and only 0.8% of the 1,754 cases of Phoradendron leucarpum ingestion resulted in morbidity. While literature contains more instances of mortality linked to Viscum album, this is probably due to its use as a herbal remedy; which lends itself to a greater chance of overdoses. For the 1997 study, only 4.1% of the exposures were intentional. The median age for all cases was two years old and not surprisingly, 87% of these situations were reported during November, December, and January.

So, while indiscriminate ingestion of mistletoe may not be a good idea, it certainly has possibilities as a medicinal plant, holds a place in legend and lore, and remains an excellent excuse to steal a kiss!

References/Further Reading:

• Culpeper, Nicholas. The Complete Herbal. London: Thomas Kelly, 1835.
  
  
• Green, Thomas. The Universal Herbal or Botanical, Medical, and Agricultural Dictionary. London: Caxton Press, 1824.
  
  
• History of the Holidays - Mistletoe. KWTV Channel 9. 15 Dec. 1999 http://www.kwtv.com/kwtv/christmas/history9.htm
  
  
• Krenzelok, Edward P., T.D. Jacobsen, and John Aronis. "American Mistletoe Exposures." American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 15 (September 1997): 516-520.
  
  
• Rafinesque, C.S. Medical Flora; or Manual of the Medical Botany of the United States of North America. Philadelphia: Samuel C. Atkinson, 1830.
  
  
• The origins of plants in holiday traditions. University of Illinois Extension Champaign County. 15 Dec. 1999 http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/champaign/homeowners/hc971220.html
  
• Went, Frits W. The Plants. Life Nature Library Series. New York: Time-Life Books, 1963.