You may have recently noticed some interesting green balls hanging high in the trees along River Road and Maybank Highway. These balls of greenery are American mistletoe, a hemiparasite that gets some or all of its food from the host plant. American mistletoe grows on oak trees across North America and is commonly harvested and sold around the world.
Though poisonous to humans, mistletoe is an important food source for a wide range of wildlife species and is commonly spread by fruit-eating birds that distribute the seeds. Birds, squirrels, and other small mammals commonly use mistletoe for cover and nesting. It also provides important nectar and pollen for a variety of native bees. Even deer are known to enjoy a nibble of mistletoe during the colder months when food sources are scarce.