Grow your own Mistletoe

Sprouting your own Smooches - What you need?

Mistletoe (Viscum Album) is a parasite - meaning that it grows on a host tree, so won't grow in plant pots etc. So if you want to grow some mistletoe first things first you will need to find a host tree.

It is best to have one of its favourite trees - Apple, Lime, Poplar or Hawthorn are the most popular ones in the UK - there are however others with the notable example being that of Oak, which holds special sentiment to Druids.

Now you need to get the schedule correct February and March are the optimum months for mistletoe to germinate. So these are the months to get busy planting. To ensure successful germination you must use freshly cut berries. These berries should be kept cool before planting but NOT stored in a fridge - they must be kept in sunlight. The berries kept from Christmas are usually immature so are unlikely to germinate.

Mistletoe takes quite some time to establish itself (3-4 years) but thereafter growth is rapid. Planting on many trees and a few locations is a very good idea. Adding a marker will enable you to check up on the berries to see how germination has been. 

If you would like to give it a go try one of our grow packs - we include guidance on planting and also freshly cut berries in  quantities of 100+.