We're getting close to Valentine's Day, so a mistletoe post is timely. Kissing under the mistletoe has a long tradition more at Christmas than at Valentine's Day, though.
Mistletoe is a flowering plant which is parasitic for water and minerals, while its green leaves photosynthesize. The seeds get around by bird dispersal; seeds either adhere to bird's feet after preening, or pass through the gut during digestion.
We have many wonderful native species of Viburnum in North America, and there are interesting species in Asia as well. Many are great garden plants, certainly for a wildlife garden.
Their fruits, although not always the first choice of fruit-eating birds, provide a backup food source, and their shrubby habit is a great place for cover and nesting. A brown thrasher pair took advantage of this cranberry viburnum (Viburnum trilobum) earlier this summer.
The berries are turning a vibrant cranberry red now, and are a striking backdrop to the satellite garden.
Addendum: hmmm, these are so striking that I did another post, forgetting I already had admired them!
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