What is Spanish moss and is it hurting my tree?
To the native Floridian, Spanish moss is part of the Florida scenery. To many newcomers and visitors, however, this strange air plant is a subject of much speculation and wonder. Contrary to what most people believe, Spanish moss does not injure the tree by obtaining any nourishment from it. Being an air plant, it only uses the tree for support. Live oaks especially seem well-suited for harboring this plant and most Florida live oaks of any size have at least some Spanish moss. But many other tree species also harbor this plant. Healthy moss is often seen growing on dead trees, fences and power lines as well. Spanish moss occurs in all Florida counties, but is very common to very rare depending on the location. It is also widely distributed from southern Virginia to eastern Texas along the coastal strip of the southeastern United States. Ball moss (Tillandisia recurvata) is sometimes confused with Spanish moss but is a small tufted, soft, greenish gray plant. Often the two species are
