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Red-berry Mistletoe
Viscum rotundifolium
SA tree number
English: Red-berry Mistletoe, Mistletoe, Yellow Mistletoe
Afrikaans: Rooi Voëlent, Voëlent, Vogelstront
Misapplied or old scientific names: Viscum bosciae-foetidae, Viscum glaucum, Viscum macowanii, Viscum thymifolium, Viscum tricostatum, Viscum ziziphi-mucronati
Viscum rotundifolium, commonly known as Red-Berry Mistletoe, is a unique, evergreen hemiparasitic plant. This means it's a bit like a plant vampire – it grows on other plants (its hosts) and gets some of its water and nutrients from them, but it also has its own green leaves to make food. You'll often spot it as a bushy growth high up in trees, especially when its bright, shiny orange-red berries are out, adding a pop of colour to the branches.
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Distinguishing features:
Grows as a bushy clump on host trees.
Fleshy, leathery leaves that are usually broadly oval to elliptic.
Small, inconspicuous creamy-green flowers.
Produces brilliant, shiny orange-red, spherical berries.
Spreads to new hosts via birds eating the sticky fruit.
Overall Appearance:
Viscum rotundifolium is an evergreen, bushy hemiparasite that forms dense clumps on various host trees and shrubs. It has a variable appearance depending on its host and location, but is most easily identified by its characteristic berries.
Height/width:
The plant typically grows into a rounded clump around 20-50 cm.
Leaves:
Fleshy and leathery.
Pale green or bluish-green color and often have a waxy coating.
Variable in shape, usually broadly ovate (oval) to elliptic (oval with pointed ends).
Often three-veined from the base.
8-12 mm long and 4-8 mm wide.
Usually obtuse (blunt or rounded) at the base.
Flowers:
Small and inconspicuous.
Greenish-yellow in color.
Borne in small clusters.
Monoecious (male and female flowers on the same plant).
Flowering Season:
The flowering season is from February to May.
Fruits:
Fleshy, spherical berries.
Brilliant, shiny orange-red when ripe.
They are about 4-5 mm.
Are pedicellate (have a small stalk).
Produced from June to August.
Seeds:
Single seeds are contained within the sticky, fleshy berry.
They are very sticky (viscous), which helps them adhere to tree branches when dispersed by birds, where they can germinate and grow into new plants.
Bark:
The bark is thin and smooth, and it is a pale brown or grey color.
Aspect:
No specific aspect (sun/shade) preference, as its location is determined by its host plant. Found from near sea level to 1,950 m.
Edibility:
The berries are edible, but they are not very palatable. They have a slightly sweet and sour taste.
Toxicity:
Mistletoe berries are often considered toxic in other parts of the world, so it's best to assume they are not for human consumption.
Uses:
Ecological: Important food source for birds, particularly for its berries.
Traditional: Closely related Viscum species (mistletoes in general) have historical associations with various traditional uses and folklore around the world, although specific uses for Viscum rotundifolium are not detailed in the provided sources beyond its ecological role.
Ecology:
Hemiparasite: It grows on a wide variety of host plants, including other mistletoes! This makes it a "hyperparasite" when it's on another mistletoe.
Host plants: Common hosts include Ehretia rigida (puzzle bush), Acacia species, Euclea species, Olea species, and Searsia (Rhus) species.
Seed dispersal: Birds are key to its survival and spread. They eat the sticky berries, and the seeds, still covered in sticky pulp, pass through their digestive system and are then deposited onto tree branches. The sticky coating helps the seeds glue themselves onto a new host branch, allowing them to germinate and grow.
Distribution and habitat:
Wide-ranging across southern Africa.
Found in all nine provinces of South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape.
Also occurs northwards into southern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Found in various habitats from near sea level to 1,950 m, including wooded grassland, karroid vegetation, and bushveld.
Derivation of name:
The genus name Viscum is Latin for 'mistletoe'.
The species name rotundifolium is Latin, meaning 'round-leaved', referring to the shape of its leaves, although they can be quite variable.
Historical aspects:
Mistletoes, in general, have a long history in various cultures, often associated with folklore and traditions, especially regarding their berries and their parasitic nature.
Interesting facts:
This plant is a bit of a rebel – it's a "hemiparasite," which means it taps into other plants for some of its water and nutrients, but it also does its own photosynthesis with its green leaves. Talk about being resourceful!
The "Red-Berry Mistletoe" is a pro at spreading its seeds! Birds eat its super sticky berries, and then when they, well, poop on another branch, the sticky seed acts like superglue, sticking to the new tree and starting a new mistletoe colony. It's a very clever way to travel!
Even though its name rotundifolium means "round-leaved," its leaves can actually be quite varied in shape, so don't get too hung up on perfectly round leaves when you're trying to spot it!
It's known to parasitise a really wide range of plants, including other mistletoes. That's right, a mistletoe parasitising another mistletoe – talk about a parasitic inception!
Growing tips:
Growing Viscum rotundifolium directly in a garden is not typically done, as it is a parasitic plant that requires a host tree. It cannot grow independently in the soil.
If you were interested in encouraging it, you would need to find a suitable host tree and then carefully place ripe, sticky berries onto a branch. The sticky pulp helps the seed attach.
This is mostly a plant you observe in nature, growing on other trees. Its propagation and survival depend heavily on birds.
This plant is a fantastic alternative for:
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