Thomas Jones, age 13, of Decatur, Ga., for his question:

HOW DOES MISTLETOE GROW IN TREES?

Mistletoe is a parasite that hitches onto the trunks and branches of various trees for a free ride of life. It can be found most often on apple trees but also is very happy on the lime, hawthorne, sycamore, poplar, fir, locust or oak trees.

Mistletoe is an evergreen with thickly clustered leaves. In February and March it has small yellow flowers that turn into small, white berries in time for Christmas.

The mistletoe mysteriously starts to grow. Exactly how new growths start isn't completely clear to scientists. Birds and the wind probably help.

In olden days, sprigs of mistletoe were given to people as charms. In many countries now, a person caught standing under a mistletoe branch must forfeit a kiss.