We often think of mistletoe as a scourge!

Mistletoe is a hemi-parasitic woody plant which attaches to other plants with its haustoria, specialised tubes which allow it to penetrate the host plant in order to absorb water and nutrients.

But whilst mistletoe does feed off trees such as eucalypts, iron barks and acacias, it also provides food and shelter for several bird species and small mammals such as possums and gliders. It is also a host plant for many moths and butterflies.

Our very first Bush Bites article was a piece about mistletoe written by Ed Frazer. It was called A Never Ending Story and it described Ed’s observations of the birdlife and other activity occurring within his mistletoe!

The story continues!

Read about Ed’s latest encounters and enjoy more photos from under the mistletoe by clicking here.