"Could it kill a new one from the soil?"

No. Mistletoe has no interaction with soil. It is a hemiparasitic organism that requires an aboveground living host structure - the tree - to survive.

How it may affect another tree depends on both the species of tree and the mistletoe. There are many differed species and most mistletoes are host specific. If a suitable host tree, it can become infested by a nearby mistletoe colony or by birds "seeding" the new host.

It is rare for mistletoe to actually kill a tree but it can happen if the infestation is severe. Best to keep a close eye on any new plantings as well as any current site infestations to keep the trees clean and healthy.

What if the mistletoe still presents in the roots of the dead maple? It has very massive fibrous roots spreading wide around that tree. Very narrow part of the bark still looks alive , rest of the trunk is falen apart and dry out.

Is it definitely mistletoe? The species I'm familiar with do not have any contact with the roots of the host or the soil around the host's roots. The plant grows high in the branches. Any chance of pictures?

Thinking further. To kill a tree it needs to be absolutely smothered in mistletoe. This local tree is still growing well. This is a deciduous tree. Every green thing on it is mistletoe.

I'm rather dubious that mistletoe is what killed the maple.

Yes, it is definitely mistletoe. I already cut off everything that was dead with mistletoe on it, now it is only one branch left, which is connected to the part of the trunk with bark and is free of visible mistletoe. It just a matter of time when it will die completely. I like maples, so I try to give a last chance to recover this tree. But i know it wont happen. So , I 'm thinking what to plant there instead. Maybe highbush cranberry.

How old is the tree?

And what type of maple tree is it?

To say mistletoe will not kill a tree is misleading. Mistletoe weakens/injures the tree allowing other parasites and diseases to invade which collectively kill tree.

The tree is about 30 y.o. It is a sugar maple tree.

So far, no one as said that mistletoe can't kill trees........only that it is a somewhat uncommon occurrence and is usually dependent on other factors, such as the age of the tree, how heavy the infestation is and the presence of other stressors like drought, poor soil conditions or existing diseases or insect issues.. Many trees can live to a ripe old age with this affliction. Floral posted a perfect example.

Cut the tree down and go for anything but a maple. I have Silver maples and one red maple and they all have mistletoe. The oaks and hackleberries do not.

I suspect the tree was on its way out anyway and the mistletoe just took advantage of a failing tree. Unless every branch was dripping with it I doubt it caused the death ot the maple . The root flare seems to be covered by soil which won't have helped.

Mistletoe lived on this tree about 10 years. I removed it every year. 3 years ago one big branch dropped by itself. But main trunk still looked ok. This year bark started come out, trunk is rotten, new mistle toe grow again, so i start to cut. The root flare wasnt covered by soil at all. It just leaves which i didnt take away yet.

I've read somewhere that mistletoe is poisonous. I didnt think about that matter till I've burnt wood from that tree in a firepit recently. May be it is a coincident, but during two days after that fire, I had a headache, nausea and just felt intoxicated. Nothing other than breathing that smoke could be cause of it. Not unusal food or drinks were consumed.

avgusta_gw - Maybe you got a buzz out of it, don't spread the word or it might become the new fad. :)

:)))

Plant something else. Most native maples are junky, short-lived trees in the south.

How long do you think it needs to dry before rolled or put in a pipe? *_*