Tech

Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants

WEIRD SCIENCE

When it’s not the holiday posterplant, mistletoe spends its days sucking the life out of trees worldwide.

articles/2014/12/21/mistletoe-is-the-vampire-of-plants/141219-thompson-mistletoe-tease_zbpbyk
Fox Photos/Getty

Mistletoe is basically a vampire—but one of those an anti-hero type vampires. Yes, I was surprised to learn that the same forest shrub that we love to smooch under every December is a parasite that spends its days sucking the “lifeforce” from trees round the globe.

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