Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, GeorgiaCommon Names:
Spanish Moss, Spanish-moss, Florida moss, long moss, graybeard, ghost hair, hanging air plant.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Angiosperms Class: Monocots Order: Poales. Family: Bromeliaceae. Genus: Tillandsia species: usneoides
Localities:
The plant is limited to the southeastern United States (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas), Central and South America. It has been introduced to Australia and Hawaii. It likes full sun or partial shade, moist environments, as well as dry habitats. It thrives on oak and cypress trees. Very common on the Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Crepe Myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.), Oaks, Pines, and Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum).
Description:
Its name “usneoides” is nicknamed after the bearded lichen (Usnea spp.) as it closely resembles it and is often mis-identified as such. It has no relation to any Lichens or fungi. It is a angiosperm of the Bromeliaceae family. As a fibrous perrenial, hanging from trees in long and thick masses, it can reach upwards to twenty feet in length. Its slender stem branches alternate thin, curved and curly, heavily scaled grey/green leaves ranging from 2-6 centimeters (upwards of 2 inches in length) in a pendant / chain-like fashion forming hanging structures up to 6 meters in length narrowly linear, with a filamentous appearance of numerous branches covered with silver/grey scales. It does flower, with tiny inconspicous pale green/blue blooms that are formed in the leaves’ axils. These blossoms develop tiny capsules containing seeds that eventually split-open to reproduce. The blossoms are said to be fragrant at night. Spanish Moss is not a lichen (often confused with Beard lichen) nor a true moss nor an air plant (as does not have aerial roots). It grows and depents on other plants because it is an epiphytic plant, but is not parasitic in that it makes its own food and does not rely on its host for support. Spanish Moss has long, thin, scaly stems to wrap around the host tree when it anchors and hangs down from the tree or shrubs branches. Its leaves are covered with cup-like, permeable scales that catch moisture and nutrients from the air as wel as pockets on the surface of its host, trapping water and moisture, which makes it a very durable and drought resistant plant. It will become dormant though when the lack of moisture exists, until the moisture returns and then re-activates. It can damage its hosts because of over-shading and reducing photosynthesis, weight on the branches, or physical damage.
Cultivation:
The plant reproduces and spreads by its tiny seeds or small fragments of its matter collected by animals, birds, and the wind to spread to other trees.
Common Uses:
Commonly used as stuffage and stuffing material in furniture, pillows, mattresses, swamp coolers, upholstry, packing materials, and automobile seats. It is believed that a mattress stuffed with Spanish Moss is much more comfortable and cooler due to its natural insulating properties. It is also used as a popular mulch and in arts/crafts industry. Used also in southern landscaping, draped along fences and wires to provide privacy screening in backyards. Birds and other animals use it for nesting including songbirds, warblers, rat snakes, three species of bats, jumping spider, Pelegrina tillandsiae, reptiles, amphibians, redbugs, chiggers, and other insects find home within its masses.
Culinary:
There are no records of it being used as food by humans.
Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia
Magical/Spirituality:
Believed to have the power of Protection and used in the home as a protective charm. Its used to stuff voodoo dolls, poppets, and to add to protective sachets.
Medicinal:
Research pending, nothing immediately found.
 | Spanish Moss, 1 oz. Used for stuffing, herbal sachets, and protection. Also used for stuffing in poppets, voodoo dolls, and sachets. Great as stuffing for mattresses, couches, and upholestry. Good for mulch. From Southern United States plastic bag with 1 oz. Item#: TLO-HERB-SpanishMoss. Purchase from Tree Leaves’ Oracle (Paypal, Check, Cash, Credit Cards) Purchase from Pirate Relief (Paypal, Check, Cash, Credit Cards) Purchase from Technogypsie Treasures (Paypal, Check, Cash, Credit Cards) Purchase via Paypal: |
Cultural/Mythical/Fantasy:
As it is a very abundant plant in the southern United States, it is culturally identified with southern ghost stories, voodoo, Cajun culture, and Southern Gothic imagery. As it was introduced to Hawaii in the 19th century, it became identified with Governor B. Dole’s beard and nicknamed as “ʻUmiʻumi-o-Dole”. Also, Hawaiian culture has adopted the plant to represent the Volcano Goddess “Pele’s” hair which is also used to identify a type of filamentous volcanic glass. It is worn by the women of the Timucua people (southern U.S.), and also used in filling for traditional voodoo dolls.
Research/Article by:Thomas Baurley, Leafworks Research, www.leafworks.net.
[Official page: http://www.treeleavesoracle.org/treelore/?p=625 ]. Published March 10, 2013. Please Note: This page is continually being updated as research and facts are revealed. Please check back often if this is a special interest to you.
Bibliography/ Recommended Reading/ Resources:
- Adams, Scott.
“What’s That On My Trees?”. Website http://danshamptons.com/article/lifestyle/ask-the-expert-house-and-home/ask-the-expert-what%E2%80%99s-that-on-my-trees/ referenced March 3, 2013. - Cunningham, Scott
1990 Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Press: St.Paul, Minnesota. - Densmore, Frances
1974 How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine, and Crafts. Dover publications: New York. - United States Department of Agriculture
1999 Tillandsia usneoides. Germplasm Resources Information Network.
2009 Tillandsia L., GRIN Taxonomy for Plants. - University of Florida
Florida Forest Plants: Spanish Moss. Website: http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/spanish_moss/spanmoss.htm visited and referenced on 3/10/13.Wikipedia:
- Spanish Moss. Website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_moss referenced March 10, 2013
PHOTOGRAPHY/IMAGES/ILLUSTRATIONS:
Photos from Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia: (12/16/2012)
