Mistletoe

Since this is Christmas, I thought I would bring up this topic. I have been seeing these "evergreen masses" in lots of trees lately, but I have read conflicting reports about it. Some say that it should be removed but others say that it benefits wildlife. I don't think I have ever heard of anyone actually paying to have it removed before. What do you guys think?

Hi Escambia,

Mistletoe sellers may pay to harvest it, though (but it's a bit late for this year now!). Cutting the green part off won't get rid of it, though, as it re-grows from the haustorium ('root') inside the host tree's branches.

There's some info on its biology, wildlife value, and conflicting opinions on it here:
http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek051208.html

Resin

That's very interesting, I never thought of it that way.

i knew our state tree and i knew our state bird, was totally clueless the state flower was mistletoe. the trees get loaded with it though, reckon that should have been a sign. just doesn't seem like a stately....kinda 'flower'. i thought gramp always said it was some kind of obnoxious fungus. guess i ll go read more at the link though, so i can be older and wiser.

prew - there is an old settler story I was told at the state capital about why they picked the mistletoe for our state flower (OK by birth). If I can find the pamplet I will get it out and let ya know the story.

Mitch

oooo excellent mitch, i would love to know.

Mitch, who do you root for round state fair time? Ken

OK all the way!

Here goes.. Story is that a young girl fell very ill in Altus area and died in winter. It was just after the land run and the father in mourning went out in winter to find flowers for his dead daughter. All he could find was mistletoe high in the trees, so he brought groups of them and laid them on his daughters casket. One of the state reps (or several depending on what you have heard) was there and was touched at this act of trying to be normal in the face of the problems of life in OK. When the chance to vote for the state flower came to be after statehood he remembered the sad day and the little girl and thought the story and flower made the perfect symbols of the new life they made in OK.

At least that is the story we where told at the state capital.... I like it:-)

well ok!...i like that story too. combined with the trail of tears and our rose rocks, we sound like one heck of a good buncha folks. i did read tho, that it [mistletoe] is now the state floral emblem, and the oklahoma rose is the state flower. all that combined with the stealing of state seal, we have quite the history.

Yep... one great history. You forgot the cities that no one can say unless you are born in OK...

Both mine and my wifes families owned land in OK before statehood - both on the anglo and the Native branches. We both had family on the trail of tears, in fact we still own 4 of the acres that my great great great grandfather lived on when he came to OK off of the trail of tears.

my sakes what a rich history you guys have here..kewl. we get a kick out of the new weather folks during tornado weather, eases the tension when you can laff at them trippin over the names.

We sure do - Oklahoma pumps in our veins... we head North over the river every chance we get.

I am very unclear on how the cities got their names, but it was pure perfection. You can tell an Okie from anyone else in the whole wide world within seconds just talking to them about where they have been.