Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that taps into tree branches to steal water and nutrients.

The longer version

A mistletoe plant sends a modified root into the branch of a host tree, reaching the tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals. From there it draws what it needs, so the parasite never has to compete for space in the soil below.

Most species still make their own food through photosynthesis, which makes them partial rather than complete parasites. Heavy growth can weaken a branch and slow the host, and the evergreen clumps stay visible through winter when the surrounding canopy is bare. Birds spread the sticky seeds by wiping them onto bark. The arrangement is ancient, and many tree species have been living alongside these shrubs for a long stretch of time.

Where this entry sits

Plants and Trees gathers ordinary and surprising details about how green things live, from the tallest forest giants down to the moss on a garden wall. Expect notes on flowers, seeds, roots, leaves, fungi, and the quiet tricks plants use to spread and survive. The full list sits on the Plants and Trees page, where every entry is listed in order.