Spanish Moss

Spanish Moss
Originally uploaded by MichaelDuquetteFowler

I've always been intrigued by Spanish Moss. They say it's a flower? Not sure I'd want all of my trees filled with it - but it is curious to inspect up close. Wikipedia says it grows in Maryland - but I've never seen it - but will now be looking for it.


Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) closely resembles its namesake but in fact it is not biologically related to either mosses or lichens. Instead, it is an angiosperm in the family Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) that grows hanging from tree branches in full sun or partial shade. It ranges from the southeastern United States (southern Virginia and eastern Maryland) to Argentina, growing wherever the climate is warm enough and has a relatively high average humidity.