Also, re: mistletoe
Yesterday I learned that not everyone knows mistletoe is a tree parasite. Which is interesting to me as a storyteller. In Norse mythology, the god Baldr is killed with mistletoe (thanks Loki...). His mother, Frigg extracted an oath from everything under the sun to not harm her child. But she skipped mistletoe because she didn't consider it a separate plant.
Taxonomy saves lives, people. :D
@TarkabarkaHolgy I thought it was because mistletoe is soft and bendy, so not a threat, but that makes sense.
Did you know that mistletoe evolved in Australia, and we still have the most species? Also, corvids evolved here, so you're welcome, Norse myths.
Oh, and there's a type of mistletoe that doesn't even have leaves. It grows inside cactus, 100% parasitic, and you only know it's there when a flower pops through the skin like a prettier Alien.
@si_fuller Didn't know any of that. Fascinating!