Landholder Resources

Mistletoe

Mistletoes are plants that grow and depend on others. They are hemiparasites – they produce their own energy through photosynthesis, but they depend on their host plant for water and nutrients. Mistletoes propagate through sticky seeds spread by birds through their droppings. When the seeds land on a host plant, the mistletoe taps into the host’s water and nutrient vessels.  

Landholders are sometimes concerned about large numbers of mistletoes on trees, but mistletoes are an incredibly important part of ecosystems for wildlife and in most cases do not need to be controlled. Underabundance and overabundance of mistletoes can indicate broader health problems in the environment. 

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There are 10 species of mistletoe in Victoria. They grow on a variety of hosts including eucalypts, wattles, banksias, bulokes and sheoaks. Buloke Mistletoe is critically endangered and grows only on Buloke trees.  

  • Mistletoes play a very important role in ecosystems 
  • Long flowering and fruiting periods provide food resources when others are not available 
  • Several species of wildlife are dependent on mistletoes for food, including birds (Painted Honeyeater and Mistletoebird), butterflies and moths 
  • Mistletoes provide shelter and nesting sites for numerous mammals, birds and invertebrates. In hot, dry periods, mistletoes provide cooler shelter 
  • Mistletoes contribute more to soil nutrients than other plants. This increases the number of ground invertebrates and ground-foraging insect-eating birds 

Underabundance of mistletoe 

  • Mistletoes are fire and drought sensitive, and may be reduced by these events 
  • Restored areas may have less mistletoe than established habitat 
  • Maintaining health of habitat, through fencing, weed and pest control, and restoration, is the best way to look after mistletoes 
  • Although mistletoe will spread naturally, habitat can be assisted through collecting seed and propagating on host plants 
  • Seeds can be collected from fruiting mistletoes and wiped directly onto thin host branches. 

Overabundance of mistletoe 

  • Mistletoe can become overabundant on trees and contribute to poor tree health. This usually indicates broader health problems in the environment. 
  • Trees that are isolated (paddock trees), at the edge of habitat, or in disturbed areas are more likely to be impacted by overabundant mistletoe 
  • Improving habitat health is the best way to prevent abundance, including fencing, weed and pest control, and restoring habitat 
  • Mistletoes can be physically removed from trees if necessary by pruning the host tree below the mistletoe’s attachment 
  • Mistletoes are excellent indicators of habitat health. Monitoring mistletoe can help understanding habitat requirements 
  • Monitoring can be especially informative post fire and during drought 
  • Continue broader habitat maintenance  

There are 10 species of mistletoe in Victoria. They grow on a variety of hosts including eucalypts, wattles, banksias, bulokes and sheoaks. Buloke Mistletoe is critically endangered and grows only on Buloke trees.  

  • Mistletoes play a very important role in ecosystems 
  • Long flowering and fruiting periods provide food resources when others are not available 
  • Several species of wildlife are dependent on mistletoes for food, including birds (Painted Honeyeater and Mistletoebird), butterflies and moths 
  • Mistletoes provide shelter and nesting sites for numerous mammals, birds and invertebrates. In hot, dry periods, mistletoes provide cooler shelter 
  • Mistletoes contribute more to soil nutrients than other plants. This increases the number of ground invertebrates and ground-foraging insect-eating birds 

Underabundance of mistletoe 

  • Mistletoes are fire and drought sensitive, and may be reduced by these events 
  • Restored areas may have less mistletoe than established habitat 
  • Maintaining health of habitat, through fencing, weed and pest control, and restoration, is the best way to look after mistletoes 
  • Although mistletoe will spread naturally, habitat can be assisted through collecting seed and propagating on host plants 
  • Seeds can be collected from fruiting mistletoes and wiped directly onto thin host branches. 

Overabundance of mistletoe 

  • Mistletoe can become overabundant on trees and contribute to poor tree health. This usually indicates broader health problems in the environment. 
  • Trees that are isolated (paddock trees), at the edge of habitat, or in disturbed areas are more likely to be impacted by overabundant mistletoe 
  • Improving habitat health is the best way to prevent abundance, including fencing, weed and pest control, and restoring habitat 
  • Mistletoes can be physically removed from trees if necessary by pruning the host tree below the mistletoe’s attachment 
  • Mistletoes are excellent indicators of habitat health. Monitoring mistletoe can help understanding habitat requirements 
  • Monitoring can be especially informative post fire and during drought 
  • Continue broader habitat maintenance  
Safety
Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when undertaking land management. Follow all label instructions on equipment and local regulations. Be mindful of weather conditions. Do not conduct land management on days of extreme or catastrophic fire danger or total fire ban. 
Further information
If you have a conservation covenant, please consult with your Trust for Nature regional staff member to ensure land management activities are in line with your covenant deed.

For further advice and support, please contact Trust for Nature

Phone:(03) 8361 5800
Email:  trustfornature@tfn.org.au
Disclaimer
Trust for Nature and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication