When I was first asked to write about Mistletoe, I was a little surprised as to what I could write about it? I mean, the only thing I know about mistletoe is that people kiss under mistletoe during the Christmas holidays and you can use it as decoration. I've never seen a real mistletoe plant other than the plastic ones covered in glitter drops or drawings of them on Christmas paper or Christmas cards. Therefore I automatically thought that it was a plant that only grew during the winter months, specifically during the Christmas period. My research has enlightened me a lot and I now know more about mistletoe than I thought. I can assume that most people recognize mistletoe the same way I do with its round leaves and small red berries, but in reality, mistletoe can take on various different shapes and also produces berries that are not just red, but also white and can also have flowers. Mistletoe rarely grows directly from the ground, but is rather a plant that grows on other plants, mainly trees and shrubs. Mistletoe is considered a type of parasitic plant because of the way it grows and thrives on other plant life to survive. Mistletoe will create its own food until it is actually rooted in the tree or shrub. Once established, the plant will use water and nutrients from the tree or shrub to grow and survive. This is very different than other plants that root in the earth and therefore use moisture and nutrients directly from the earth. Some mistletoes can nest so deep and grow so quickly that they outcompete its host, killing it, and then die itself. Mistletoe can be found growing in many types of trees such as oaks, apple trees, eucalyptus and even Juni...... middle of paper ......proper ritual of the man picking a berry for each kiss as the couple will have bad luck but, if followed correctly will have a prosperous union. Other myths say that if a young girl placed mistletoe under her pillow, as you would the tooth fairy's tooth, she would dream of her future Prince Charming. Finally, if a woman burns a mistletoe and it burns constantly, she will have marital happiness, but if it does not burn constantly her marriage may be doomed. All in all, it was quite interesting to learn more about mistletoe and where it comes from, what it really looks like, what purpose it serves in normal life, but I have to say that the most interesting part was what I learned about the different meanings and folklore that he took on for so many different cultures. Who knows if any of these things actually work, but I guess it doesn't hurt to try.