Mistletoe Herb — Cut & Sifted

(Viscum album)

Mistletoe is one of the most mythologically rich and botanically fascinating plants in the world — a hemiparasitic evergreen shrub that grows not in soil but directly on the branches of host trees, extracting water and minerals through specialized root-like structures called haustoria while still photosynthesizing its own food. Viscum album — European Mistletoe — grows on a wide range of host trees including apple, oak, pine, poplar, and willow, forming the distinctive spherical, pendulous clusters of waxy green leaves and white berries that have made it one of the most recognizable plants in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the very few plants that flowers and fruits in winter, when its host trees are bare — which gave it an aura of magical vitality to ancient peoples who observed it thriving when everything around it appeared dead.

In Celtic and Druidic tradition, mistletoe was the most sacred of all plants — particularly when found growing on oak, which was considered especially auspicious. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder described the Druidic ritual of harvesting mistletoe in his Naturalis Historia (77 CE): on the sixth day of the moon, a white-robed Druid would climb the oak and cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle, catching it in a white cloth so it never touched the ground. In Norse mythology, mistletoe was the one substance in all of creation that had not sworn an oath to protect the god Baldr — an oversight exploited by Loki, who fashioned a dart of mistletoe that killed Baldr, the most beloved of the gods. The kissing tradition under mistletoe traces to Norse mythology and was well established in England by the 18th century, where it was a fixture of Christmas festivities.

The herb contains a complex array of phytochemicals including mistletoe lectins (ML-I, ML-II, ML-III — also called viscumins, among the most studied plant lectins in pharmacological research), viscotoxins (small polypeptides with cytotoxic properties), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, rhamnetin), phenylpropanoids (syringin, caffeic acid), triterpenes (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid), polysaccharides, alkaloids, and amines (tyramine, histamine, choline). Available in Cut & Sifted and Powder forms.

Product Highlights

• Cut & sifted and powdered herb of Viscum album — European Mistletoe
• A hemiparasitic evergreen — grows on the branches of host trees, not in soil
• The most sacred plant of the Druids — harvested with a golden sickle on the sixth day of the moon
• Central to Norse mythology — the dart of mistletoe that killed the god Baldr
• The origin of the Christmas kissing tradition — documented in England since the 18th century
• Rich in mistletoe lectins (viscumins), viscotoxins, quercetin, and triterpenes
• Available in Cut & Sifted and Powder forms

How to Use

Herbal Formulas: Mistletoe is traditionally used as part of compound herbal formulations under the guidance of a qualified herbal practitioner — it is not typically used as a standalone herb. Tincture: Used in small-dose alcohol-based tincture preparations by experienced practitioners. Decoction: Traditionally prepared as a cold-water infusion or decoction of the dried herb.

Available in Cut & Sifted (4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz) and Powder (4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. WARNING: Mistletoe (Viscum album) is a toxic plant and must be used with extreme caution. All parts of the plant — including the leaves, stems, and especially the berries — contain viscotoxins and mistletoe lectins that are toxic and can cause serious adverse effects including nausea, vomiting, bradycardia (slow heart rate), low blood pressure, and in severe cases, seizures or death. The berries are particularly dangerous and must never be consumed. Do not use mistletoe without the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider experienced with botanical medicine. Not for use during pregnancy or while nursing. Not for use by children. Not for use by persons with autoimmune conditions, organ transplants, or taking immunosuppressant medications. Keep out of reach of children and pets.