Spanish Moss, hangs from treees and shrubs but doesn't live off them
I’ve a trio of interesting plants growing on my trees and shrubs. They are Bromeliads, members of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae). Often called Air Plants because they don’t require soil to thrive, my three are all members of the Genus Tillandsia. Florida’s native Air Plants are epiphytic meaning they live on other plants but do not take any food from them so they are not parasitic. They just use the plants or trees as support.
You’ve probably heard of Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) as it is often used in the floral industry to hold in moisture around planted displays. Despite the common name, it is not a moss at all and Spanish Moss does not even have any roots. This Air Plant has scaly stems that latch onto the host so it hangs down from the branches. It gets its water and nutrients from the air via the leaves that are covered with cup-like scales. Generally found on Cypress or Oak trees, mine covers a Ligustrum shrub, while not native to Florida, it certainly is providing a grand podium for the flowing strips of this Air Plant that call it home. I’ve yet to see a bloom on this particular Spanish Moss, but I’m keeping my eye out since April is prime time for blossoms. This Air Plant reproduces by seed dispersed by wind or via fragments carried off by birds.
Hanging down as it does, the other common name, Graybeard fits it perfectly
Along the truck of my pine trees I can always count on small masses of Ball Moss (Tillandsia recurvata).
Ball Moss in Bloom
In doing some research for this article, I come to find out that people want to kill it, apparently because they don’t like how it looks on their trees or they mistakenly believe it is harming the trees. Since it is epiphytic, it provides for itself, thus, no harm, no foul. It gets its moisture from rain, and can tolerate dry periods by becoming dormant. In order for it not to send out seeds, the articles I read that condemn this Air Plant recommend bagging it in plastic and throwing it in the trash. Ball moss fixes nitrogen which in and of itself is a reason to keep it. It converts nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form that plants can use. Should it fall from its host, it will become fertilizer for other plants. Propagation is by wind dispersed seeds, or you can break apart clumps to start new plants. Use it as a decorative touch, tied to a decorative piece of wood or tree bark, or in an orchid basket. In this type of use, leave outside in the rain during the summer and bring indoors when temperatures start falling below freezing. Interestingly, this air plant will grow on telephone wires and is hearty to 20F.
My last air plant is Southern Needleleaf (Tillandsia setacea) which I acquired from a fellow member of my chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. She brought a slew of these to share, taken from hurricane season branch trimming. I placed one on a branch in an oak tree and one in some sort of non-native cypress (before I knew!). It has bloomed and I’m hoping that it begins to propagate on its own. .
Southern Needleleaf in Bloom has stiff "leaves"
Now, to the wildlife part. What exactly do bromeliads do? They are important to our ecosystems as some of the larger ones accumulate water in their leaves, providing for the more petite of our fauna. Frogs, worms, insects and salamanders use them as drinking fountains and some hide in the leaves. Since many species of bromeliads have deep wells to collect rain, the water is available during times when it isn’t plentiful from other sources.
In my case, spiders and insects use both Spanish Moss and Ball Moss. Bats can use thicker sections of Spanish Moss as cover to rest during the daytime. And, you will find both of these Tillandsia spp. as components in many a bird nest. Although these varieties may have small nondescript flowers, they do provide interest in the beautiful wildlife garden, if for no other reason than the mystery of how they live on air.
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About Loret T. Setters
I have always been fascinated by these air plants…thx for sharing their interesting story Loret…
Thanks Donna. I always appreciate your kind comments. Enjoy the weekend!
Loret recently posted..Boys will be boys
Great post!
I found you on Fb and my eye went right towards the tillandsia pic, since I’ve been researching tillandsia in Belize the past couple months. If you feel like reading my adventures, check out my blog at http://www.dirtygirlgarden.com
Cheers, Jenn
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for stopping by. I went and looked at your blog post. What a creative way to use Tillandsia spp. indoors. I certainly will send people to see your photos.
Loret T. Setters recently posted..Boys will be boys
Interesting post, Loret. I’ve seen the Ball Moss before but never knew that “many species of bromeliads have deep wells to collect rain, the water is available during times when it isn’t plentiful from other sources”. That is certainly a good thing for smaller critters. And I had no idea Spanish Moss was an air plant! Go figure.
Hi Kathy!
When I first moved to Florida I acquired some sad-looking deep-well type bromeliads from someone’s trash pile. I was quite surprised once they got going again when things started peaking out from between the leaves, especially the anoles. The downside of the ability to collect rain water is that it can also provide prime habitat for mosquitoes. I always hold out hope that the frogs and other critters will get in there and dispense with the larvae.
Loret T. Setters recently posted..Responsibility on the Internet
Very cool! I never knew most of that about the Spanish moss—I assumed it was the hot weather version of English ivy.
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And, Graybeard makes a great addition to a “father time” costume for both Halloween and New Years.
Loret T. Setters recently posted..Responsibility on the Internet
Enjoyed your article. Didn’t know the name of ball moss. I’ve read that yellow-throated warblers and northern parulas build their nests inside clumps of Spanish moss so I’m glad to see it in my yard.
Thanks Carole! Let me know if you get anyone hiding behind the grey veil of cover!
Loret recently posted..Boys will be boys
Any care tips for the Spanish moss? I love the story-book look when it hangs down from trees…
We cut down a tree in our yard, and i moved all the spanish moss onto another tree…anything more than just spraying it with a hose?
If you live in Florida, you shouldn’t have to do anything to it, it is drought tolerant in that it goes dormant during dry season and renews and survives on seasonal rains when they come.
It’s so nice that you saved the spanish moss by moving it to another tree. Not many people would bother to do that and it is a plant very valuable to wildlife, especially birds and deserving of salvage. Since it has no roots, your “transplant” should be quite seamless.
You can get full info on spanish moss here: http://www.floridata.com/ref/t/till_usn.cfm