Santalaceae
European mistletoe
Viscum album
- Family
- Santalaceae
- Genus
- Viscum
Pets and kids
- CatsToxic
- DogsToxic
- KidsToxic
Why
Cats: Toxic
Toxic to cats (severe). Toxic principle: lectins, viscotoxins, alkaloids.
Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, ataxia, collapse.
Dogs: Toxic
Toxic to dogs (severe). Toxic principle: lectins, viscotoxins, alkaloids.
Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, ataxia, collapse.
Kids: Toxic
Toxic to young children (severe). Toxic principle: viscotoxins, mistletoe lectins.
Signs: vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, gastrointestinal upset.
- Is mistletoe poisonous? | Poison Control Poison control
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Is European mistletoe safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Is European mistletoe safe for cats?
No. Our sources call European mistletoe toxic to cats (severe). Toxic principle: lectins, viscotoxins, alkaloids. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, ataxia, collapse.
Is European mistletoe safe for dogs?
No. Our sources call European mistletoe toxic to dogs (severe). Toxic principle: lectins, viscotoxins, alkaloids. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, ataxia, collapse.
Is European mistletoe safe for kids?
No. Our sources call European mistletoe toxic to young children (severe). Toxic principle: viscotoxins, mistletoe lectins. Signs: vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, gastrointestinal upset.
- Is mistletoe poisonous? | Poison Control Poison control
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.
Common names
By language (60)
- Arabic
- دبق أبيض, الدبق, الهدال, زرق الطير, شجر الدبق
- Aragonese
- Vesque, Bisca, Bisco, Visca
- Armenian
- Ճագում սպիտակ
- arz
- دبق ابيض
- Asturian
- Arfueyu
- azb
- آغ اؤکس اوْتو
- Azerbaijani
- Ağ öksəotu
- Basque
- Mihura
- Belarusian
- Амяла белая, Вамела белая
- Bulgarian
- Бял имел, Имел
- Cantonese
- 槲寄生
- Catalan
- Vesc, Gui
- Chinese
- 槲寄生, 白果槲寄生, 卵叶槲寄生
- Corsican
- Vischju
- csb
- Gapié gniôzdo
- Czech
- Jmelí bílé, Jmelí listnáčové
- Danish
- Almindelig Mistelten, Mistelten
- dsb
- Listowa jemjelica
- Dutch
- Maretak, Mistel, Mistletoe, Vogellijm
- English
- European mistletoe, Mistletoe
- Esperanto
- Blanka visko, Blanka arboperlo
- Estonian
- Harilik puuvõõrik
- Finnish
- Misteli, Euroopanmisteli
- French
- Gui des feuillus, Gui
- frr
- Witjbeimistel
- Galician
- Visgo
- Georgian
- Თეთრი ფითრი
- German
- Weissbeerige Mistel, Weißbeerige Mistel, Laubholz-Mistel, Mistel, Gui, Kiefernmistel, Laubholzmistel, Tannenmistel
- Greek
- Ιξός, Γκι
- hsb
- Lisćowcowy jemjel, Lišćowcowy jemjel, Jemjelina, Jemjelnja, Jemlina, Lěpa, Lěpikowe zelo
- Hungarian
- Fehér fagyöngy
- Icelandic
- Mistilteinn
- Italian
- Vischio
- Japanese
- ヤドリギ, やどりぎ, 宿り木, 寄生木
- Korean
- 백과곡기생, 겨우살이
- kw
- Ughelvar
- Latvian
- Baltais āmulis
- li
- Haamsjeut, Vogelliem
- Lithuanian
- Paprastasis amalas, Gui
- Macedonian
- Бела имела, Обична имела
- mzn
- دارواش
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Misteltein
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- Misteltein
- Persian
- داروش اروپایی
- Polish
- Jemioła pospolita, Jemioła jodłowa, Jemioła rozpierzchła
- Portuguese
- Visco
- Romanian
- Vâsc european, Vâsc
- Russian
- Омела белая
- Serbian
- Imela, Имела
- Serbian (Latin)
- Imela
- Slovak
- Imelo biele
- Slovenian
- Bela omela
- Spanish
- Muérdago blanco, Almuergano, Almuerzago, Almuérgano, Almuérzago, Amuerdago, Amuergano, Amuérgano
- Swedish
- Mistel, Gui
- Turkish
- Ökse otu, Ökseotu
- Ukrainian
- Омела звичайна, Омела біла
- Vietnamese
- Cây tầm gửi Châu Âu
- Walloon
- Håmustea
- Welsh
- Uchelwydd
- Western Frisian
- Mistel, Fûgellym
Synonyms
- Stelin album (L.) Bubani
- Viscum album var. album
- Viscum polycoccon Houtt.
- Viscum stellatum Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
Flowers
- In flower
- February to April (from 195 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Shrub, Subshrub
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
FlowerPhoto: Maciej Boenisch, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Thomas Gyselinck, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Patrick Hacker, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Patrick Hacker, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FruitPhoto: Laura J. Costello, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: George Chernilevsky, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: GT1976, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Cenaida, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Patafisik, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Natalka Ukraine, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Mirko Ubović, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Aaron Chidwick, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
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- Viscum combreticolaSantalaceae
- Viscum rotundifoliumSantalaceae
- Viscum capenseSantalaceae
- Viscum angulatumSantalaceae
- Viscum crassulaeSantalaceae
- Viscum diospyrosicolaSantalaceae
- Viscum exileSantalaceae
- Viscum fargesiiSantalaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.