Ironwood with mistletoe
Desert mistletoe is a parasite found on desert trees such as palo verde and ironwood. The plant, Phoradendron californicum, draws water and nutrients from its host, living on the branches of the tree rather than rooting in the ground. Although it depends on other plants for survival, mistletoe is also part of the larger desert community.
Its berries are an important winter food source for the phainopepla, a glossy black bird with a pointed crest. As the bird feeds, it helps spread the seeds from tree to tree. In this way, new mistletoe plants are able to take hold on other suitable hosts.
Though mistletoe may weaken a tree, it is not simply a destroyer. It is part of a natural desert cycle linking parasite, host, and wildlife. Even a plant that lives by taking from another becomes a source of food and renewal in the bajada community.
phainopepla,
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