I would like to try growing mistletoe on my old apple tree does anyone know where i can aquire the seeds

Its only a few weeks until Christmas and you should be able to buy some mistletoe then. The plant grows on apple tree branches when birds eat the berries and rub the seeds off their beaks onto the branch - there are web sites you should be able to find out how.

Hello! Don't forget mistletoe is parasitic and will eventually kill the tree.

I would ask GoY member Amy...She seems to have the knack of how to get mistletoe to take.

If you Google: www.mistletoe.org.uk you should be able to find out where to buy seeds and all the information you will need to cultivate mistletoe.

Mistletoe is Hemi- parasitic..It feeds off it's host, but feeds it's self as well via photosynthesis. Only a very heavy " infestation " of mistletoe would threaten a tree.

Thank you Pimpernel, but what if the tree is already old, as the query says ... won't the addition of mistletoe speed things up to kill the tree sooner? What sort of time-span is involved? I have always been led to believe that all mistletoe is bad for ornamental/fruit trees, so would be delighted not to be worried for a change!!

It is bound to have some effect but as to how great that would be over the lifespan of a tree I don't know. Commercial foresters do not like it as it ruins the cut timbre.

as it goes its not the birds beak it wipes on said branches . the fruits are purpousfully realy sticky so the bird wipes its bum when it goes to powder its noes then it gets a free bit of fertiliser to go with it . ive been round amies and id like some . its so small and takes so long to get to any size i wouldnt worry about it at all . im going to get some this year . you just squish the berry into a fork in the branch and weight a long time . id do it in a few times so your more garrunteed a plant . you can always take some of them of if you get to many .

Does it grow in Scotland? I have only ever seen it in the southern part of the country.

And it is good for wildlife...Mistle Thrushes are in decline, they go mad for the berry and guard trees that have them against all comers.

i believe its fine in scotland sterogram xx .