Phoradendron californicum – “Desert Mistletoe”

Also Known As: Mesquite Mistletoe, Chili De Espino, Tojí, Injerto, Secapalo, Visco, Tzavo, Aaxt
Family: Mistletoe (Loranthaceae)
Bloom Period: Jan-Mar
Form: Perennial parasite
Habitat: Variety of settings
Leaves: Scale-like, inconspicuous
Translation: “Phoradendron” is Greek for “tree thief,” which describes its parasitic nature; “californicum” is “Californian.”
Notes: Grows exclusively on other plants, from which it takes nourishment. Common hosts in the desert include Legume Family plants such as the Palo Verdes (Parkinsonia genus), Mesquites (Prosopis genus), and Acacias (Senegalia genus). Leaves and flowers are tiny and scale-like to conserve water and also not take so much from its host that it kills it. The common name, Chile de Espino, is Spanish for “Hawthorne Chili,” which likely refers to the fruit’s resemblance to the berries of the Hawthorne (Craetagus sp.). Other Spanish names include Tojí, Tzavo, Injerto (“graft,” as in tree-grafting), Secapalo (“dry stick”), and Visco (“mistletoe”). Aaxt is the Seri name for the plant.
Native American Uses: As a parasite, Mistletoe takes up many substances from its hosts, including ones that are toxic or irritating when consumed by humans, so the many Native American tribes who ate the berries only harvested them when the plant was growing on certain trees or shrubs and not on others. For example, Mesquite, Ironwood (Olneya tesota) and Catclaw Acacia were safe, but not Desert Buckthorn (Condalia genus) or the Palo Verdes. The Maricopa extracted a juice from the berries by boiling them and added it to wheat porridge. The Tohono O’odham sun-dried the berries and stored them for later use. The Pima and Gila River Pima ate them raw or cooked. The Pima made a decoction of them that they used internally for stomachaches and as a purgative and topically as a wash for sores.
Animal Associations: Seeds are dispersed in part by birds, which eat the berries and excrete the undigested seeds onto the branches of potential new hosts. These birds include the the Silky Flycatcher, Western Bluebird, Le Conte’s Thrasher and Gambel’s Quail, for which the berries are an important source of water during the time of year they lay eggs and raise young (November through April). Dead clumps of mistletoe are common nesting sites for the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher, Mourning Dove and the Verdin, two insectivorous birds. Flowers, though small, are fragrant and attract bees and other pollinators. Larval food plant for the Great Purple Hairstreak butterfly.