‘Tis the time of year when you may see a traditional holiday decoration of mistletoe hanging in people's homes. If you are caught standing under one, you may be kissed! With their masses of evergreen leaves and white berries growing high in now-bare deciduous trees, mistletoe is easily spotted during the winter months of the year.

Mistletoe are plants that grow on the branches of trees or large shrubs. Because they are largely parasitic, they tend to have a mixed reputation. But there's more to the story of mistletoe. . .

Mistletoe Folklore

Mistletoe legends go back hundreds of years. It was considered a symbol of life because when other plants are leafless in winter, it is green and bears fruit.

An old Norse legend says the god Balder was mistakenly killed by a blind brother with an arrow of mistletoe. His mother's tears turned into white berries as they fell on mistletoe, so the plant became associated with undying love.

The ancient Celts used mistletoe as part of their winter solstice celebrations. Druids considered mistletoe to be a sacred plant because it didn't grow from roots, but on branches high up in trees. People would wear mistletoe charms for good luck and protection from evil spirits. Sprays would be hung from doorways to ensure only happiness could enter a home.

By the 1700's, “kissing balls” made of holly, boxwood and mistletoe were hung in windows and doorways during the winter holidays. A young lady caught under one could not refuse a kiss. According to custom, after each kiss, a berry would be removed, until they were all gone.

What is Mistletoe?

Mistletoe ”kisses” a tree or shrub by attaching to a branch using a connective appendage through which it sucks water and nutrients from its host. Mistletoe is either female or male. Males produce only pollen. The female plants produce sticky white berries from October – December.

The two most common species found in our area are:

Broadleaf mistletoe (Phoradendron macrophyllum) grows on several landscape trees including alder, flowering pear, box elder, silver maple, zelkova, and walnut. Some broadleaf mistletoe species also conduct photosynthesis so are hemiparasite (half-parasite). The sticky berries are eaten by cedar waxwings, robins and other birds. The birds digest the seeds, excreting living seeds which stick to a branch they may land on. Infestations tend to occur on taller, mature trees, because birds prefer higher perches.

Dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.) infest pines, firs, junipers, and other conifers. They are true parasites, obtaining all their nutrients from their host plant. Due to conifers being evergreen year-round, the small size, and inconspicuous coloration of dwarf mistletoe, they can be difficult to spot. Dwarf mistletoe seeds are spread mostly by forcible ejection, which can propel sticky seeds onto needles of nearby conifers up to 40 feet away. When it rains, the seeds slide down the needles to twigs where infestation occurs. More common in the Sierra foothills, dwarf mistletoe is not found as often in urban/suburban environments.

Mistletoe Myth

While mistletoe is largely parasitic, it is a myth that they always kill their host plant and should be removed if it appears in your tree. Mistletoe rarely kills a healthy tree, though it may lose some branches due to infestation.

Broadleaf mistletoe has been shown to have several important benefits for nature. They provide food for wildlife (birds love the berries!), as well as cover and nesting sites for birds and some small mammals. In some instances, they have been associated with increased biodiversity. 

Mistletoe Infestations

The most effective control is to remove infected branches as soon as they become apparent, after leaves drop in autumn, by pruning at least one foot from the point of mistletoe attachment. Chemicals only provide short-term control and don't kill mistletoe plants. Since broadleaf mistletoes easily spread from tree to tree in urban/suburban settings due to birds, a community cooperative effort is the best defense by removing all mistletoes from all streets. See UC IPM Pest Notes for more detailed information:  https://ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnmistletoe.pdf

Planting tree species which appear to be resistant to mistletoes can help reduce future infestations. Mistletoe rarely infest Bradford flowering pear, Chinese pistache, crape myrtle, ginkgo, liquid amber, sycamore, true cedars or redwood. Susceptible tree varieties include alder, Modesto ash, and Aristocrat flowering pear. Most dwarf mistletoe attack only a few related pine species, so replanting with a diversity of trees will help.

Enjoy Mistletoe!

In cases when there is little concern that mistletoes will spread to other trees (because area trees are healthy and/or already resistant) take pleasure in seeing the occasional cluster of broadleaf mistletoes hanging high on branches of bare trees in the winter. After all, a flock of cedar waxwings descending on a tree with mistletoe berries is a sight to see! And, without mistletoe, we can't have bunches of decorative balls of mistletoe hanging in our homes so people can stand under them during the winter holidays and be kissed!

Resources

UC IPM Quick Tips:  Mistletoes - https://ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/QT/qtmistletoe.pdf

UC ANR Blog, SJ County Master Gardener: Managing Mistletoe in Trees: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=26219

Denise Godbout-Avant has been a UC Master Gardener in Stanislaus County since 2020

 

 

According to University of California Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM), “Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease that affects peach and nectarine trees.”

Peach leaf curl, also known as leaf curl, is caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans. It can affect the blossoms, fruit, leaves, and shoots of peaches, ornamental flowering peaches, and nectarines, and is one of the most common disease problems for backyard gardeners growing these trees. The fungal spores that cause the disease overwinter on tree twigs and buds. When the tree produces new leaves in spring, they become distorted and reddened and then fall off.  The tree must then produce an entirely new crop of leaves, which weakens the tree. When severe, the disease affects fruit and can reduce production.

How can I prevent peach leaf curl?

Purchase a fixed copper-based fungicide, available at most nurseries and garden centers. You can make this application more effective by adding a 1% horticultural spray oil to the solution. Read more about product options in the Pest Notes listed below.

When should I spray?

Spray after leaves have fallen and you have pruned your trees. Be sure to place the infected prunings in the greenwaste bin, not in your compost pile. The spores can remain in compost.Then, apply the copper solution to your tree, coating all the branches thoroughly.  During wet winters, a second application can be made in late winter (January or February) just before or as flower buds swell, because heavy rainfall can wash away the fungicide. Once the tree leaves appear, it is too late to spray.

If I don't spray my tree to prevent leaf curl, what will happen?

If your tree shows signs of peach leaf curl in spring, you'll have to wait until the following year to treat the problem. Removing affected leaves has not been shown to reduce the problem. Eventually, the infected leaves will drop and be replaced by new, healthy leaves, unless it is rainy. Spores present in the area may be moved to the new leaves and in that case, the new leaves may become infected.

Trees plagued by peach leaf curl for years can become stunted. If you miss the season to spray and your tree is infected, make sure to treat the following fall and/or winter to prevent more serious losses the following year.

The links below are excellent resources for information about peach leaf curl provided by the University of California Integrated Pest Management service. (UCIPM)

References & More Information

Pest Notes: Peach Leaf Curl  https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/peach-leaf-curl/pest-notes/#gsc.tab=0

Pruning Overgrown Fruit Trees https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8058.pdf

Training and Pruning Fruit Trees https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8057.pdf

This Giving Tuesday, we raised $600 for our program! Thank you to those who were able to give. We understand that not everyone is able to make a monetary contribution. However, there is another way you can help!

Take our Survey

If you've taken one of our library classes, heard a presentation at an organization, stopped by our booth during an event to get pest management information, or asked a question of our Help Line, visit https://ucanr.edu/ucce/mg/survey 

We are collecting data all year long, so if you answered these survey questions in 2024, you don't need to so again. You won't be asked your name. The two questions asked are:

1. Did you gain knowledge

          Yes     No

1. Will you use the information/knowledge gained?

        - Yes, in the next 12 months
        - Probably, but not in the short term
        - No, not at all.

We truly appreciate your time in taking this survey that helps us measure our impact.

Thank you!

Anne Schellman
UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Coordinator, Stanislaus County

*Three months after you attend one of our classes, you receive an email survey about the presented topic. This is not related to the survey above. However, it also helps us collect information about our programming. 

 

Being a UC Master Gardener has had a huge impact on my life. I love learning new things, discovering how nature works, teaching others, and giving back. When I retired, I looked for ways to continue to gain new knowledge and contribute to my community. That's when I learned that UC Cooperative Extension had a new program. I decided to become a UC Master Gardener, which has allowed me to give back in so many ways.

Previously, my focus on nature was away from the cities and towns. Becoming a UC Master Gardener broadened my awareness of nature in our own backyards. I've become fascinated by the micro-world of insects both above and underground, and how they play important roles in our urban landscapes. I've learned about how to care for our gardens in sustainable, science-based, environmentally friendly ways, as well the importance of water-wise plants and pollinators, and how home gardeners can help maintain native plants and beneficial organisms.

What UC Master Gardeners Do

I have the honor of being a part of the UC Cooperative Extension's amazing group of UC Master Gardeners in Stanislaus County dedicated to helping home gardeners. An overview of what UC Master Gardeners do include:

Speak at local libraries, service clubs and gardening clubs on a variety of topics such as growing vegetables, composting, and bees. We also offer STEAM classes for children at local libraries (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics).

Teach garden-based lessons to students in Stanislaus County through our school garden committee.

Write articles for The Stanislaus Sprout (like this article!). Articles cover a range of topics such when and how to plant lettuce in your garden, cabbage loopers, planting flower bulbs, and spider webs. The Sprout also alerts people to when and where our monthly library talks are (along with the current month's topic) and other upcoming events.

Produce gardening media content for our Facebook and Instagram accounts. @UCMGStanislaus

Answer the Help Line, a resource the community can call or email to get answers about their gardening issues. Learn more about the Help Line by reading our post at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=61134

Give out gardening and pest management information at booths for events such as local farmers markets, Earth Day at Graceada Park, the Stanislaus County Fair, Modesto Rotary Club's Senior Stride Event, and the Stanislaus River Salmon Festival, to name a few.

Provide workshops on topics such as vermicomposting, garden tool care, seed saving, and how to help monarch butterflies. Other workshops offer fun nature craft activities such as making holiday wreaths or lavender wands.

Design, create, and maintain gardens at the Stanislaus County Agriculture Center which include sensory, cut flowers, and pollinators, helping give people ideas for their own gardens.

An ongoing pursuit of helping serve home gardeners in our community.

Giving Tuesday

UC Master Gardeners are volunteers who devote numerous hours to sharing their knowledge and passion about home gardening. Currently* there are 70 UCMaster Gardeners in Stanislaus County who have given over 2,000 hours of their time to the program this year. While we donate our time, our program does need funding for supplies for events, workshops, talks, and our gardens.

If the UC Master Gardeners of Stanislaus County program has benefited you in some way, please join me in contributing to this incredible, valuable program. You can give at any time between now and the end of the year. Visit https://give.ucanr.edu/pages/uc-master-gardener-program and click on the blue button that reads “make a gift," and then type “Stanislaus County” into the search bar and our program name will populate.

Your garden will thank you!

Denise Godbout-Avant has been a UC Master Gardener in Stanislaus County since 2020.

*learn more about becoming a UC Master Gardener in 2026 by reading our updated page at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Become_a_UCCE_MG/