DUNG ON A TWIG:

Stalking the coy mistletoe: Starring in the tale of the Christmas kissing plant: Shotguns. And dung. (Virginia A. Smith, December 02, 2011, Philadelphia Inquirer)

Joe Arsenault is a botanist, but today he's turned detective as well. He's stalking the wetlands of South Jersey for mistletoe.

He usually finds it way up high in native black gum trees growing in or around marshes and coastal areas. Here, in its northernmost habitat on the East Coast, it forms sparkler-like configurations - the Navajo called them "baskets on high" - that are visible only after the trees drop all their leaves.

Even then, amateur eyes have difficulty.

We're on the road to Malaga Lake Park in Franklin Township, which has a stand of black gums lining the 105-acre lake that Arsenault wants to show us. He's driving ahead, we're following, and all of a sudden, he's jabbing a finger out his SUV window at some woods off to the left.

Must be mistletoe.

Posted by oj at December 3, 2011 8:16 AM
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