These include mistletoe, holly, bittersweet, and Jerusalem cherry. Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant. It manufactures its own food, but must obtain water and minerals from the host plant. American mistletoe, Phoradendron serotinum , grows in deciduous trees from New Jersey southward to Florida and Texas. Mistletoe sold during the holiday season is gathered in the wild.
Most mistletoe is harvested in Oklahoma and Texas.
Mistletoe has been used in the treatment of several ailments, including pleurisy, gout, epilepsy, rabies, and poisoning. However, its white berries, which appear in winter, are poisonous. For safety reasons, the live berries are often replaced with artificial, plastic berries. Holly , Ilex spp . Male and female flowers, on separate bushes, must be grown to obtain the scarlet berries, which persist all winter on the female plant.