It's almost Christmas! And that means that the well-known Christmas tradition under the twigs of this plant is coming again. Whether you see this as hopelessly romantic, or find it slightly forced. That I leave up to you. :)

But did you know that the Mistletoe (Viscum album) is in fact a hemi-parasite? This is a nice botanical story. Plant and tree live together, although somewhat at the expense of the host. Mistletoe roots itself in the wood of mainly poplars (Populus spp.) and apple trees (Malus domestica); from which the plant extracts water and minerals. Fortunately, the Mistletoe can also carry out photosynthesis. This, we can tell by the beautiful chlorophyll: the green pigment in the flowering parts.

Medicinally, Mistletoe is used to support regular cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation. Several clinical studies show a reduction in side effects of these conventional treatments. In addition, the hemi-parasite would play a role in improving the patient's quality of life and in immunomodulation. This means that it has beneficial effects on the human immune system.

Who do you intend to kiss under the mistletoe this year?