Once again its the seasonal plants that seem to draw the attention of the general public to NJ’s botanical treasurers.
This month, the Philadelphia Inquirer featured chairperson Joe Arsenault in a seasonal article on American Mistletoe. The author, Virginia Smith, provides an enjoyable short piece describing some of mistletoe’s interesting facts and myths. The attention given this hemi-parasitic shrub makes it one of the more reported upon species of our native flora. We all are familiar with its use, but did you know it extends so far back into our culture that its hard to separate what is early fact or fiction? That Navajo native Americans call it “baskets on high”? To read more about mistletoe and how our FNJP is described by Ms. Smith, go to the December 2, 2011 edition and search for the Home and Design section. Its a well written description that features our most visible of arboreal parasitic shrubs.
