The mistletoe that often is used in holiday decorations is mainly the Phoradendron leucarpum that is grown from Oregon and California east to New Jersey and Florida. They are harvested when they are in their fruiting stage and distributed commercially throughout North America. The entire plant, especially the leaves and stems, contain toxic substances. Eating only a few berries may cause minor abdominal pain and diarrhea, but ingesting large quantities of the berries, or drinking tea made from the leaves, can produce severe irritation of the digestive tract. In rare occasions, ingesting these plant parts has been fatal. To prevent poisoning in children and to increase the shelf life of mistletoe, commercial florists often substitute artificial berries for the real ones.

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