The seeds have an impermeable seed coat, but if the seed is chewed, one is said to be enough to be fatal to a child. Loranthaceae Phoradendron spp. The berries are poisonous, containing toxic amines. Cattle have been killed by eating the wild mistletoe in the oak groves of the coastal Ranges of California. Berries should be kept out of the reach of children.
Poisoning causes severe stomach and intestinal irritation with diarrhea and slow pulse.
Several deaths among children have been attributed to eating the berries. Tea brewed from the berries has caused fatality. Merely standing underneath mistletoe may evoke osculatory responses in some people. The rootstock of this plant is very toxic while the stem and leaves are less toxic and fruits the least toxic. The plant grows widely in eastern U.S. and is found mostly in waste places.