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Vent: I was dead wrong about mistletoe being harmless in trees
Ngl, I always thought mistletoe was just a weird holiday decoration that didn't really hurt the tree. Then last spring I had a client in Portland with a big old oak that lost three huge limbs during a storm. Turns out mistletoe had been siphoning water and nutrients for years, weakening the branch attachments. Anyone else ever underestimate how much damage this stuff can do?
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black.beth28d ago
So you're saying that mistletoe basically acts like a parasite the whole time without anyone noticing? I had no idea it weakened the branch attachments like that, but @ericp67 your point about structural integrity really hits home now. It's wild how something that looks so harmless can do that much damage over time.
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That "siphoning water and nutrients" part is the real kicker, really messes with their structural integrity.
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