In July 2017, Melbourne’s urban forest was given a ‘kiss’ of renewal, thanks to a world-first trial to plant Australian native mistletoe into the canopies of the city’s London plane trees. In collaboration with mistletoe expert Professor David M. Watson from Charles Sturt University, 28 plane trees were planted with native Creeping Mistletoe (Muellerina eucalyptoides) seed in July 2017.
The makeover in North Melbourne, Parkville, South Yarra, and Southbank is expected to boost ecology and biodiversity in the existing tree canopy cover and provide food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife, including the White Imperial and Spotted Jezabel butterflies and the locally uncommon mistletoe bird.
Viewed by some in the past as a pest in native forests, mistletoe is now recognised as a keystone species that is critical for supporting woodland birds. Plane trees were chosen as they are exceptionally tolerant of urban conditions but provide minimal habitat and resources for wildlife. Planting mistletoe into the canopies aims to provide more shelter, food, and places to nest for wildlife. The City of Melbourne will monitor the outcomes of this trial.
Key facts about mistletoe
Mistletoe grows in the canopy of trees, partially obtaining water and nutrients from the tree through the point of attachment. Contrary to popular belief, Australian mistletoe does not kill healthy trees nor cause tree branches to spontaneously break.
There are approximately 1600 species of mistletoe world-wide, with 90 native to Australia, and six native to Melbourne. By comparison, there is only one mistletoe species in Europe.
The species we are planting (Creeping Mistletoe) is native to Melbourne, and is important for our local birds and insects, including butterflies.
Mistletoe fruit and leaves are packed full of energy and nutrients, and is a ‘magnet’ for a whole range of fruit-eating birds, mammals, and insects.
Some mistletoe species are particularly good at accumulating heavy metals and they may play an important role in purifying the air.
Mistletoe surveys
One year after artificially planting 832 mistletoe seeds on 26 London Plane trees, surveys were undertaken by Citizen Forester volunteers to check on the seeds and see how many had germinated. The surveys revealed 24 live seedlings — a survival rate of nearly 3 per cent. While this might not sound like much, it was actually a really good success rate for mistletoe.
Want to in participate in the collection of important ecological data such as the Mistletoe surveys? Register or find out more about the Citizen Forester Program.