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Phisherman[_1_] · 09-07-2007, 11:52 PM posted to rec.gardens

On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 21:32:09 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

Dear All,
I have a sick apple tree which is *covered* in mistletoe. The
variety is Howgate Wonder. It is about 30 years old and it had more
mistletoe than apple leaves and stems and the apple leaves are scruffy and
yellowed. The really strange thing is mistletoe shoots are emerging all
over its branches. As I understood it, mistletoe propagation requires
seeds to be inserted into the bark (eg. by birds) -- I'm sure this cannot
be the case here. It is as though the mistletoe has 'invaded' the apple
tree's tissues and taken over. Does this make an botanical sense and has
anyone seen anything like this before?

A few months ago I cut off most of the mistletoe but the tree still looks
pretty sick. Is there any hope for it?

Thanks
Tom

We have some mistletoe growing in a pin oak and another growing in a
hickory tree. Both are ball-shaped and about 1 yard across, too far
up to remove easily. Someone said you can shoot it out with a
22-rifle, or possibly with a powerful pellet gun. Our trees appear to
be healthy, but in your case I'd remove the parasite.