If you live in Norfolk, or are just passing through this winter, have a look out for mistletoe. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust are appealing for sightings, to help them understand the current status and distribution of the plant in their county.
You can find a pdf survey form here, and read more about the survey here. Printed forms are available by writing (with an SAE) to Mistletoe Survey, NWT, 22 Thorpe Road, Norwich, NR1 1RY. The survey runs until the end of January.
Norfolk is well outside mistletoe’s main UK range, so there probably never was much of it in the area – but there are suggestions it is rarer than it was, particualrly with the loss of traditional apple orcahrds, the favourite host/habitat.
I’ll be reviewing the national data over the winter – and will be passing on relevant info. I can think of several small populations in Suffolk – but that doesn’t count. But there is a good mistletoe population in an avenue of trees in a King’s Lynn Park.
I’ll be seeing Rod Chapman, Norfolk’s Mistletoe Man, in Tenbury Wells on Saturday – so might have more info on the survey then…