Kiss Mistletoe Goodbye? Poor Weather Blamed For Holiday Shortage

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But we’re not going to let this stop our normal routine of awkward holiday kissing.

Holiday mistletoe, specifically the one that we’re supposed to kiss under around Christmas (there are different species), is pretty hard to find this year, according to The New York Times, especially healthy-looking mistletoe.

Thanks to a record drought in Texas and other bad weather throughout the country, mistletoe has had a terrible time growing, and now that the holidays are here, stores are having a terrible time finding and selling it.

(PHOTOS: Severe Drought in Texas)

The generally pricey plants showing up in New York have reportedly been rather puny and anemic, and many usual purchasers of the plant are bypassing it altogether. Even fake mistletoe has been difficult for some to find.

The dry weather in Texas this year has wreaked havoc on a number of the state’s crops and has been considered the worst in the Lone Star State’s history. Close to 70% of the state’s mistletoe plants have been hurt by the drought, forcing some retailers to get mistletoe from California instead, according to the Times.

(PHOTOS: Holiday Decorations Shine at the White House)

Still, real mistletoe is one of those holiday decorations that only the truly festive (and well-off) among us actually buy. And it appears to have waned in popularity recently. It’s often around $5 just for a little branch, and much of the kissing mistletoe we buy these days is fake – like our plastic Christmas trees.

An owner of a New Jersey florist and supply store, and apparently a mistletoe hater, called the plant a “cheap novelty item.” “People would rather buy a wreath,” he told the Times. Some florists have even said that this will be the first year they won’t be selling it.

In the tonier sections of New York City, however, it still seems rather popular. But the shortage this year may make consumers think twice about the plant next year. Maybe we’ll all be kissing under a shrub of holly in 2012.

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