Mistletoe down under - we have it too !

Australia has 90 species of Mistletoe, and 70 of these are native species. These Mistletoe plants are growing on a Eucalyptus tree in Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia.

Mistletoes are regarded here as "semi-parasitic" plants. That is because they manufacture their own food and nutrients, but they rely on their host tree for water and support.... the roots of the Mistletoe grow into the tree's branches.

There is even a Mistletoe Bird, also known as the "Mistletoe Flowerpecker". The bird loves to eat the fruit of the Mistletoe as it is sweet and tasty. After a meal, it passes the seeds out , some landing on branches and quickly germinating to form a new plant. There are 4 different species of Mistetoe birds here, they each live in different regions of the Australian continent and have different coloured plumage. I could talk about kissing under the Cameltoe ...errr... sorry , Mistletoe ... but we will have to leave that for another time.

Warning; The Mistletoe Fruit / berries are sweet and tasty for birds, but not for human consumption, as they are poisonous.