Mistletoe and Oak Burls

January 16, 2020 00:05:00
Mistletoe and Oak Burls
Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey
Mistletoe and Oak Burls

Jan 16 2020 | 00:05:00

/

Show Notes

 

There are five species of mistletoe found in Arizona and they all can be found somewhere in southern Arizona at various elevations and on different species of trees or shrubs. In the Sonoran Desert the mistletoe species Phoradendron californicum is found on trees in the pea family, like ironwood, mesquite, paloverde, or acacias or as Arizona Flora says, “chiefly on leguminous shrubs and trees.” When you go up in elevation in southern Arizona you find P. serotinum (the subsp. tomentosum?) on the evergreen oaks. This mistletoe species looks like the classic Christmas mistletoe with green stems, oval leaves and small white fruit.

The birds Phainopepla nitens or phainopeplas – The genus name has become the common name too –  range from the low desert up to the woodlands and eat the mistletoe berries of all the species found in the borderlands.

I’ve been guilty of hoarding interesting chunks of wood for many years, so this swirling oak grain thing is just more of the same I guess. I’ve included some photos so you can see what I’m talking about. You my want to go in with me on an oak burl farm. Let me know.

Other Episodes

Episode 0

July 11, 2021 00:04:32
Episode Cover

Monsoon Pudding Days

Phemeranthus aurantiacus, the former Talinum aurantiacum, is now in Talinaceae, the flameflower family, “a family of two genera and 28 species.” There’s more; the...

Listen

Episode 0

October 02, 2022 00:04:27
Episode Cover

The Melampus Daisy

There are a dozen species of Melampodium and I wonder which one Linnaeus was looking at when he honored  Melampus with the genus name....

Listen

Episode

March 12, 2019 00:05:22
Episode Cover

A Pecan Tree and a Shrew

When we got our little homestead over 25 years ago, the woman we purchased it from told us, “Don’t forget to get the pecans...

Listen