Question

what yuletide plant is commonly called phoradendron or tree thief

Answer 1

The correct answer is - Mistletoe.

Phoradendron sp. is the common leafy mistletoe. The mistletoe plant grows parasitically on others trees especially the oak trees. These plants are usually used to celebrate the Yuletide season.

The mistletoe became interwoven into legends, myths, and religious beliefs. A common custom at Christmas-time was for the homemaker to place a sprig of mistletoe above a door frame or hang it from the ceiling of the dwelling.

During the Yule season, mistletoe plants were sold in the marketplace and were as plentiful there as holly and the other widely used Christmas greenery. 

Answer 2

Mistletoe is a Yuletide plant which is commonly called Phoradendron or 'tree thief'.

Phoradendron is a genus of mistletoes. The name Phoradendron is derived from Greek. It means 'tree thief'. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which absorbs the water and nutrients from the host plant. It is attached to the host tree by a structure called the haustrorium.

Its flowers are inconspicuous and are 1-3 mm in diameter. They are greenish-yellow in colour. Its fruit is a berry which is white, yellow, orange or red in colour when mature. It contains a number of seeds which are embedded in a very sticky juice.

People place a sprig of Mistletoe on the door frame or hang it from the ceiling in the house for good luck during the Yuletide season.