6.
Mistletoe and poisonous plants: strange creatures
Until the middle of the 20th century mistletoe could
be found in many orchards in the area. Nowadays
it is found mostly on poplars. In Dutch the name
of
this semi-parasitic plant is ‘maretak’. ‘Mare’ means
witch, devil (like in nightmare!), ‘tak’ is
twig. In pre-Christian times the mistletoe was important
in rituals, especially when growing on oaks.
Witches’ broom, elsewhere in the garden on
a birch tree, is sometimes confused with mistletoe.
 Witches’ broom
is a vigorous growth of side branches caused by a virus.
Witches were believed to park their broom high in a tree
after a nights’ flight.
Several poisonous plants grow wild in South-Limburg. Many of these have played
an important, sometimes mysterious and weird, role in folklore and everyday life.
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