h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

<Viscum album1, the Latin name for European Mistletoe..." This translates loosely to 'white goo'.

. I think the birds whichmost like mistletoe are mistle thrushes and black cap warblers

Mistletoe needs to be managed to prevent it damaging its host, so its a good idea to harvest it frugally!!)at this time of year

Thank you! I'll link this to EF so they can make some updates, I think especially the bit about harvesting carefully.

I've made the first two changes, but don't know how to reconcile the third one about harvesting with this line in the entry:

"It is also an endangered species in the UK, so it shouldn't be harvested from the wild. "

'It is also an endangered species in the UK, so it shouldn't be harvested from the wild'.

That's right. ButTV and newspaper gardening correwspndents advocate growing one's own on an apple tree (as Mina mentions in her Entry). As she says, it takes 4 or 5 years to establish itself, but thereafter it's a good idea to 'manage' it to prevent it causing to much damage to itsa host.

For those who're interested, the following link explains the distinctive ways in which mistle thrushes and blackcaps propagate the seed:

http://allgemein.mistel-therapie.de/index.php5?page=22&lang=1

Thanks Gnomon, how add:


"Where it is cultivated, mistletoe needs to be managed to prevent it damaging its host, so its a good idea to harvest it frugally during the Christmas period."

to the end of this paragraph

"It is also an endangered species in the UK, so it shouldn't be harvested from the wild. A berry or two for propagation purposes will not harm it, but cutting sprigs off for the home is not wise."

Done.