How Mistletoe Got Its Name

“The name for mistletoe derives the fact that mistletoe tends to spring from bird droppings that have fallen on trees, with the seeds having passed through the digestive tract of the birds. Thus, the plant was given the name ‘misteltan’ in Old English from 'mistel’, meaning 'dung’, and 'tan’, the plural of 'ta’, meaning 'twig’. Hence, 'mistletoe’ is another way to essentially say 'dung twig’.”__Lynette Eastwood