What would Christmas be without mistletoe? There is only one species of mistletoe native to Britain, Viscum album, but there is none growing in the park. We would love to see it established here but we are not sure how we would go about it.
Mistletoe is a hemiparasite which attaches to a tree with suckers and roots. It absorbs water and nutrients from its host plant; however, it also produces some of its own food via photosynthesis in its green leaves. Viscum album successfully parasitises more than 200 species of tree and shrub.
Mistletoe seeds are spread by birds. Depending on the species of bird, the seeds are regurgitated from the crop, excreted in their droppings, or wiped from their bill onto a branch. The seeds are coated with a very sticky material called viscin; when the viscin touches a stem, it sticks tenaciously. It soon hardens and attaches the seed firmly to its future host, where it germinates and penetrates the bark.
Let’s hope a bird somewhere in Southwick is feasting on Christmas mistletoe berries and will bring the seeds to the park.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 
According to the Woodland trust mistletoe does not thrive in woodland conditions. The park does have some solitary trees so we could try something. We could ask web viewers to bring their mistletoe to the park after Christmas and it could be left around for birds to eat the berries and possibly do the sowing for us. Its a long shot but one never knows!
What a good idea David. We will try that.