Mistletoe is considered a nuisance—a sap-consuming parasitic plant that at best is unsightly, and at worse can stress, damage, cause die-back of branches and even kill a tree if left untreated. Mistletoe is difficult to eliminate without injuring the host tree further, so professional arborists with experience in ridding the parasite from a tree is required. Call Certified Arbor Care of Austin if you are concerned about mistletoe infestation of your trees.
What is Mistletoe and How Should It Be Removed?
Mistletoe, also known as broadleaf mistletoe, is a parasitic plant that grows on trees in the Austin Metro Area and produces white berries in the fall. Mistletoe can damage a host tree by pushing through the tree’s bark and deeper into branches where the plant’s modified roots called haustoria grow deeper, effectively mining the host tree for water and nutrients. Mistletoe can adversely affect a host tree by stunting its growth and causing branches to die. Bad cases of the parasitic plant can even kill a tree. Sometime a significant case of mistletoe can dominate entire branches of trees and kill the whole crown of a tree. Birds often eat the berries of the plant spreading the seeds to new trees on your property.
Branches can often be saved through pruning and cutting, and getting rid of portions of the branch taken over by the haustorium if the parasite is in its early stages of development. It is possible, however, for mistletoe to re-grow if the haustorium evades the treatment for elimination. The mistletoe removal experts at Certified Arbor Care of Austin use several techniques for getting rid of mistletoe from affected trees. Tree care technicians will cut affected limbs back to the collar of the branch and are skilled at preserving the looks and structural integrity of the tree. Mistletoe is easiest to see during the winter when leaves have fallen, more easily exposing the invading plant.
We Are the Mistletoe Removal Experts
Certified Arbor Care are known as the experts in removing mistletoe from trees in the Austin Metro area, and in communities of:
