TreeSantalaceae
European Mistletoe
Viscum album
- Habitat
- Obligate hemiparasite of broadleaved trees; found in parkland, orchards, and open woodland wherever host species grow
- IUCN status
- LCLeast Concern
- Max height
- 1 m
Ecological relationships
Parasitises
Black PoplarPopulus nigraObligate hemiparasite tapping host xylem for water and minerals; Black Poplar is a preferred continental host, frequently colonised in floodplain woodlands.
European AshFraxinus excelsiorAsh is a frequent mistletoe host in western European woodlands, particularly in Britain and France.
Seeds dispersed by
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusPrimary ornithochorous disperser; sticky seeds are wiped from the bill onto host branches after ingestion. The namesake mutualism from which the bird's English name derives (Snow & Snow 1988).
FieldfareTurdus pilarisFeeds on Mistletoe berries and disperses sticky seeds to new host branches (Zuber 2004).