Although this summer's wet weather impacted heavily on many agricultural crops, mistletoe growers in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, heart of the mistletoe trade, have assured the plants have done better than ever.

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Mistletoe flowers in early spring; this year conditions were good, before rains set in. Whilst growers have assured there are plenty of berries and a healthy amount of the traditional decoration will be available this Christmas, they said this year's mistletoe may be less appealing, as a lack of sunlight affected the plant's development.   

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which can survive on a range of host trees, though is most commonly found in broadleaf trees such as apple and lime in Europe. Across pre-Christian Europe the plant held significance as a symbol of romance and male fertility, a belief which was later integrated into Christian custom, giving rise to the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.

The plant is increasingly the subject of scrutiny by scientists seeking to understand its medicinal properties.