No image of the deep south is complete without showing Spanish moss swaying in the breeze. Spanish moss is most frequently seen hanging from oak and cypress trees, but may also be found on other plants, fences, power lines and most anything else that will give it support.
Spanish moss is actually not a moss at all, but a bromeliad. It is a perennial herb in the pineapple family. It is covered by tiny scales that "catch" water and nutrients from the air and rain water and therefore has no need for a root system. It grows best in moist areas but can survive drought by going dormant until conditions improve.
Spanish moss produces tiny, inconspicuous pale greenish-blue flowers that may give off a light fragrance at night. Pods develop after flowers and eventually split open to release very tiny seeds. These seeds are then dispersed by birds and the wind. Fragments of the plant may also blow off or be carried off by birds to where they will reproduce new plants.
Throughout history, there have been many uses for Spanish moss. Insulating homes, mulching, stuffing mattresses, cushions, and pillows, packing material, and decorating flower arrangements are among the many benefits that Spanish moss has provided. Birds build their nests with it, and a variety of wildlife such as bats, reptiles, amphibians and insects use it as home sites and for protective cover.
Although Spanish moss has a reputation for being a parasite and killing trees, it robs no nutrients from them. It will add weight to limbs that might cause unhealthy ones to break. It also might slow the growth of a tree by shading its leaves and preventing photosynthesis from occurring. There is really no need, however, to remove Spanish moss from your trees. It plays a valuable role in Florida's ecology and, if removed, will eventually return.
If handling Spanish moss, be sure to wear protective clothing and good insect repellent because it is frequently infested by redbugs, or chiggers, which cause an itchy red rash.
For more information on Spanish moss, visit http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/environment/spanish_moss.html ,
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/giam/shows/transcripts/2007/april_2007/spanish_moss.pdf, or http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/spanish_moss/spanmoss.htm
Photo used with permission.
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