Ask someone about mistletoe and the topic invariably goes to being kissed by someone wonderful while standing under a bunch of it. Kiss your love under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve, or ring in the New Year with a proposal, followed by a kiss.

However, Scandinavian tradition actually obligates any two people who meet under the mistletoe to kiss, no matter who they are. Thankfully we usually tend to forget that part of the tradition.

These common tales are associated with this pretty Christmas decoration, but there is so much more to this interesting parasite.

Did you know many cultures hang mistletoe throughout the year to protect their house from fire and lightning strike? These bunches were replaced every year on Christmas Eve. It has been used since pagan times for protection, and in many cultures, this tradition has continued to present day.

Mistletoe is the name given a large group of mostly hemi-parasitic plants that grow on the branches of shrubs and trees. They have evergreen leaves and are either male or female plants. The female plants have berries in the late fall to early winter. The berries are eaten by birds and excreted onto the branches of trees or shrubs where they attach to their new host plant with a vicious liquid. Eventually these seeds “root” onto the branch and use the host plant throughout their life.

There are many varieties of mistletoe to be seen in and around Santa Clarita. Host plants that might support mistletoe in this area include sycamore, fir, juniper, incense cedar, acacia, oak and pine, among others.

Interestingly, mistletoe extracts are being studied in Germany as a possible treatment for cancerous tumors and respiratory ailments. Mistletoe is not currently being considered medicinally within the U.S., although the sticky substance from the berries was once upon a time used to catch insects.

Mistletoe has long been considered a pest. It was known to kill trees and injure habitat. Recently it has been re-evaluated and recognized as an important food source and habitat  for animals and birds. It is now considered an important keystone species.

Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel is executive director of the Community Hiking Club and president of the Santa Clara River Watershed Conservancy.