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American Mistletoe

Phoradendron leucarpum (for-ah-DEN-dron lew-KARP-um)

Family: Santalaceae Native Shrub

Evergreen shrub with greenish branches, semiparasitic on tree limbs; leaves opposite, simple, oblong, leathery; flowers inconspicuous; fruit a white berry

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 36 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Native Plant; Poisonous; Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub
Form & Appearance
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong
Leaf feel
Leathery
Hairs present
No
Flower color
Insignificant
Flower detail
Inconspicuous flowers
Fruit color
White
Fruit type
Berry
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central & Eastern U.S.A. to Mexico
Distribution
Throughout
Wildlife value
This plant supports Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus) larvae which have one brood from April-June appear as early as January in Florida.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Berry
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Native Garden; Pollinator Garden
Garden tags
#poisonous #parasitic #evergreen #NC native #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #great purple hairstreak butterfly #butterfly friendly #larval host plant #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Poison severity
Medium
Poison parts
Fruits
Poison symptoms
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. Stomach and intestinal irritation with diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, lowered blood pressure, and slow pulse.
Toxic principle
Amine, toxalbumin, pharatoxin viscumin (Lectins, Phoratoxins)
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Medium severity poison; parts: Fruits

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.