During the holidays, mistletoe is famous for helping couples sneak a smooch under a strategically hung sprig. But long before Christ was born, Druids, Greeks and other ancients knew the plant as a ...

See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Mistletoe is the Christmas tradition people are showing no signs of ...

The tradition of kissing somebody under the mistletoe plant has been around for quite some time. But why? And what is a mistletoe plant anyway? Let’s find out! Mistletoe has been associated with life, ...

New research into a species of mistletoe called Viscum scurruloideum has shown that the plant somehow thrives while lacking key genes that other plants possess for making energy. The research group ...

For many people, mistletoe is a pest, while for others, it is a symbol of Christmas cheer. The origin of mistletoe as a Yuletide symbol came from the Norse and the Druids. Both had traditions that ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. American mistletoe's genus *Phoradendron* means 'thief of trees' in Greek. Joe Decruyenaere/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A ...

Some plants are so entwined with tradition that it’s impossible to think of one without the other. Mistletoe is such a plant. But set aside the kissing custom and you’ll find a hundred and one reasons ...

Mistletoe is a richly symbolic winter plant with an unusual life cycle. With more than half of England’s traditional orchards lost since the mid-20th century, it would be easy to assume mistletoe is ...

The holiday seasons are filled with tradition, some of which I've found irrelevant and outdated, and others I have found so fun that I've rarely cared how it became a tradition in the first place.

Mistletoes evolved the ability to grow not on the roots of trees, but instead on their branches. Frankie Angel / Alamy Baldur, grandson of the Norse god Thor, woke up one morning certain that each and ...

It’s often thought that mistletoe spells bad news for its host tree, but new research suggests otherwise – just in time for Christmas. If mistletoe’s status as a nutrient-stealing freeloader has been ...

A parasitic plant with potentially poisonous berries might not sound like something that would boost your Christmas decorations to the next level. But, botanically speaking, that's what mistletoe is.