In 2016, Department of Conservation ranger Kevin Buttell considered the green mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus) to be rare, but it is now more common and has been recorded at 40 sites in Northland. Photo / NZME
In 2016, Department of Conservation ranger Kevin Buttell considered the green mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus) to be rare, but it is now more common and has been recorded at 40 sites in Northland. Photo / NZME
Northlanders will need a Christmas miracle to find red leafy mistletoe in their backyard, but they might get lucky with the less-showy green variety, according to the Department of Conservation.
New Zealand has a number of native leafy mistletoes that flower in December with bright flowers, Department of Conservation (DoC)flora and ecosystems senior adviser Andrew Townsend said.
This includes the red-flowered pikirangi (Peraxilla tetrapetala) and pirita (Peraxilla colensoi), and the yellow-flowered piriraki (Alepis flavida).
Townsend said like all mistletoes, these shrubs are partly parasitic, meaning they need a host tree for their nutrients and water.
They predominantly grow on native beech trees, which are rare in Northland – the only native beech is hard and does not make a good host, he said.
“Leafy mistletoes aren’t a feature of the Northland forests. Whether this is because of prolonged possum browse or lack of host species is unknown.”
Townsend said there are few known records of the Christmas mistletoes in Northland, including one record of pikirangi growing in the Wekaweka Valley, just north of Waipoua Forest, in the 1990s on a towai tree.
The towai was an opportunistic host and the mistletoe is believed to have since died, he said.
Pirita and pikiraki have never been recorded in Northland, Townsend said.
Red mistletoe pikirangi (Peraxilla tetrapetala) has only been recorded once in Northland.
Also hard to find in Northland is the white-flowered mistletoe, tupeia (Tupeia antarctica).
There are just two records of tupeia in Northland: near Paparoa in 1867 and on Aorangi Island in the Poor Knights Islands in 1984.
Townsend said Northlanders might have more luck finding the less-showy green mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus).
Once considered nationally threatened or at risk, it is now relatively common, with about 40 records from Northland, he said.
Another well-known mistletoe, Adams mistletoe (Trilepidea adamsii), would have been found in Northland but is now considered extinct, Townsend said.
Northlanders might be able to find the green mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus). Photo / NZME
The mistletoe, with greenish-yellow flowers striped with red, was found from Waipoua Forest, through Waikato, Coromandel and on Great Barrier Island.
Townsend said Adams mistletoe was never common and reached infamy by its recorded extinction.
The mistletoe was known to be growing at one last location near Cambridge but the tree it was growing on was cut down in the 1950s, causing its extinction.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
