That awkward annual question – is mistletoe declining? – has been cropping up big-time in the last few days, reminding me that the answer, yes and no, is difficult to put across. Yes it’s declining as a crop as the main harvesting habitat (orchards) are lost though removal or neglect – and so the crop might be tiny in, say, 20 years time. But no, it’s not declining, as it is not threatened at all in the wider environment (countryside, gardens and parkland) and, if anything, is spreading and increasing its range. Confused? Don’t worry – it’s all a bit too serious for Christmas.
Instead why not try your hand at a Mistletoe Trivia Quiz? There are (at least) two on offer online at the moment:
ilovelooe.co.uk have a 12-point Mistletoe Quiz online at http://www.ilovelooe.co.uk/2011/mistletoe-christmas-quiz – complete with a cut-out and keep emergency mistletoe motif. Thanks to Christopher Halls for pointing this one out to me.
And, designed for children, but just as relevant to grown-ups too, is the 8-point BBC Newsround Mistletoe Quiz at http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16164453
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Of course, if mistletoe trivia isn’t your thing why not look at the serious stuff again – there are some well serious mistletoe questions for you (if you’re an orchard owner with mistletoe) in the Mistletoe League Project.