Back in December ’25 I attended a talk by Dr Michael Jones, former lecturer in Botany at Newman University in Birmingham and Mistletoe expert. The Mistletoe we commonly associate with Christmas in the UK, namely Viscus album, grows only in the south of England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Whilst happy with cold winters, it likes an average July temperature of 16 degrees. Seeds are dispersed by the aptly named Mistletoe Thrush but also Blackcaps, who gather the berries for food..

All the photos in the presentation were of green Mistletoe with a touch of yellow. In fact, I realised that pretty much my whole life, I have always thought that Mistletoe was green. Certainly, the sprig my father hung up in the hall to snatch a ‘kiss under the Mistletoe’ was green, and the huge balls of Mistletoe in the trees down the lanes of Gloucestershire where I live, are always green.

So, imagine my surprise when I realised that the Mistletoe growing in my apple tree was, in fact, yellow with a touch of green! Even more surprise when Dr. Jones said he had only seen one such specimen before, and he’s seen thousands! I recall smearing a berry into the crack of the old tree, not really believing it would work. But it did!

Dr Jones questioned the health of the plant and whether it was perhaps not getting the nutrients it needed from my ancient apple tree; but it has been growing steadily for the past 9 years, so I think it would have died before now if it was poorly.

A new variety perhaps?? Has anyone else got yellow mistletoe, or seen it growing in their local trees?