| McLauchlin, J (1996). Mistletoe in the Croydon area, 1994 to 1996, Bull Croydon Nat Hist Sci Soc, 101: 1-3. |
Mistletoe in the Croydon area, 1994 to 1996Mistletoe is a curious, partly-parasitic, plant which grows on the branches of trees. As it retains its leaves and yellowish-green colour throughout winter, it is most easily seen when the trees have no leaves. Its evergreen habit and unusual growth have made it a favourite winter and Christmas decoration through the ages. In Britain, mistletoe is most common in the south and west Midlands of England. It is more scattered throughout the rest of England and Wales, becoming rare towards the north.[1] The Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) and Plantlife organised a survey of mistletoe for 1994 to 1996, and will compare its distribution with that from the last BSBI survey in 1969/70. Mistletoe is an uncommon plant in the Croydon area, with only ten records appearing in the Flora of Croydon,[2] and most of these being rather distant in Surrey. However, personal observation and requests for information in the CNHSS Bulletin (April 1995) and the Bourne Society Bulletin (November 1995) resulted in a number of new records (Many thanks to all those who responded). I now have a total of 36 plants on 21 trees of 9 species. The map [not shown] and table show the distribution, the host trees, their situation and the soil type. Apple (including culinary and ornamental apples) is the most common host tree, accounting for more than one-third of the records. Of the remaining hosts, hawthorn, plum (also including culinary and ornamental trees), whitebeam and rowan are in the Rosaceae (rose family), the same family as apple (67% total). The other trees illustrate the wide range of available hosts for mistletoe. The most usual local habitat is in gardens, with 44% of plants. Most of these are on apple trees. It has been reported that mistletoe is more abundant on calcareous soils.[3] There has been much correspondence about this in recent issues of BSBI News, but no overall consensus. A positive association of mistletoe with calcareous soils has been found in the 100km grid square TQ,[4] but analysing the present data for the 10km grid square TQ36 (which includes most of the records) gives no significant association (chi-square test). The recorded distribution of any plant is a combination of its true distribution and of the activity of its recorders. Most of the mistletoe records are in an east to west band running from Wallington and Purley across to West Wickham. No records were received north of Addiscombe or south of one record in the north of Coulsdon. As there was a good response from Bourne Society members, who are concentrated in the south of the Borough and in Tandridge, it seems reasonable to conclude that mistletoe is genuinely absent from this latter area. The local stronghold of mistletoe is on apple trees in gardens. Presumably it is more likely to have been deliberately planted in a garden than on trees in parks or streets, which rely on natural dispersal. Perhaps also, people cherish their garden mistletoes, which are less vulnerable to deliberate or accidental destruction during pruning or road widening! Jane McLauchlin
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