Spanish Moss

One of the most iconic plants in the Southeast is Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides). In every story and movie that is set in the Southern states, Spanish Moss is there: graceful, distinguished and sometimes a little sinister.

Spanish Moss is not a moss at all; it is an epiphyte. Plants in the tillandsia genus are part of the family Bromeliaceae, or Bromeliads. Spanish Moss is a relative of the Pineapple plant. Bromeliads like this species of tillandsia are mostly native to the tropical Americas and Spanish Moss is a Florida Native Plant. Spanish Moss does not harm a tree. As an epiphyte, this plant derives all that it needs from the sun, rain and air. Spanish Moss only uses trees for support and is not a parasite.

Spanish Moss can change color when wet. Special scales on the plant trap water underneath on days of rain or high humidity and swell, causing the plant to appear greenish in color. As the Tillandsia dries, these water holding scales shrink and settle as their water is absorbed and the plant returns to silvery gray.

This species can propagate by seed or by relocation. Spanish Moss flowers with tiny yellowish-green flowers that turn to brown as the seeds develop. The brown petals of the flower are lightweight and catch the wind, helping to spread the seeds to new trees during storms. This epiphyte is also a popular nest building material for squirrels and birds. When animals cart the plant away to other locations, they don't kill the Spanish Moss, because it has no roots. If the nest is in a good place for Spanish Moss to grow, the moss in the nest will continue growing and create a new colony. Sections of moss called 'festoons' can also be caught by the wind and transferred to new trees. 

The common name of Spanish Moss was was given as “Itla-okla” (tree hair) by the Native peoples of Louisiana and the word may be of Choctaw origin. The French in the Louisiana area took to calling the plant “Barbe Espagnol” (Spanish beard) mocking the giant beards of the Spaniards.

Spanish Moss was and is used extensively by humans. Native peoples would prepare the moss and then weave it into strong and durable clothing. During the civil war, Confederate soldiers had blankets and horse saddle blankets made of woven Spanish Moss. The seats of the first Model T, mattresses and upholstery were all stuffed with the cheap, abundant yet durable material. Spanish
Moss is still used today in the production of folk crafts and as stuffing for folk dolls.

Learn more:

• Clad With the'Hair of Trees': A History of Native American Spanish Moss Textile Industries by Max Carocci
• Spanish Moss: Its Nature, History and Uses by Dennis Adams
• She spins Spanish moss into beautiful blankets (A story about artisan Dawn Klug) from the Tampa Bay Times
• The Story Behind Spanish Moss by Celeste Booth
• What You Need to Know about Spanish Moss by Dan Gill