Mistletoe grows as a parasitic plant on the branches of trees and shrubs in mild to temperate regions across much of the world, especially Europe and North America.

Natural habitats

  • Mistletoe typically grows in open landscapes rather than dense forest, favoring hedgerows, orchards, parkland, gardens, and churchyards where host trees get plenty of light.
  • It is found on every continent except Antarctica, with different mistletoe species adapted to local climates and host plants.

What trees it grows on

  • Common hosts include apple, hawthorn, poplar, and lime; in the UK, cultivated apple trees are among the most frequent hosts.
  • In North America, species like American mistletoe often grow on deciduous trees such as oaks, elms, hackberries, sycamores, and wild cherries.

Where in the world

  • European mistletoe is native across much of Eurasia, from Great Britain through Europe into parts of Asia.
  • American mistletoe occurs in temperate parts of North America, including the eastern and southern United States and into northern Mexico.

How to spot it

  • Look for rounded, evergreen clumps high in otherwise bare winter trees; these ball-like tufts are often easiest to see after leaves have fallen.
  • Because birds spread the sticky seeds, mistletoe often appears in clusters on multiple branches or nearby trees in the same area.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.