Mistletoe’s white berries and leaves are ... “This plant is often sold as a bonsai plant,” says Steinkopf. “All parts of it are extremely poisonous, especially the seeds.

And why are people so amorous when they find themselves beneath it? Mistletoe, a parasitic plant, is actually accustomed to the suspension: In nature, it grows only on other trees’ branches.

I know birds spread mistletoe by excreting the seeds, but why do I see trees with no mistletoe next to trees that have been so thoroughly invaded by this parasitic plant that they almost look like ...