Spanish moss is in the Bromeliaceae family, otherwise known as the pineapple family. Spanish moss is a flowering plant and not actually a moss. It is considered an epiphyte, which means that it only needs a host for support and protection.

Some people love Spanish moss and some people want to get rid of it. Homeowners with Spanish moss are very familiar with cleaning it up after every wind episode or storm.

Unlike mistletoe, it is not a parasite, and unlike lichens, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the host plant is unhealthy.

Spanish moss is limited to warm humid areas in Southern states and coastal regions. It can grow in coastal areas as far north as Virginia. It prefers moist locations and is more commonly found around wetlands, streams and ponds.

Insects, especially red bugs, love to call Spanish moss their home. Many other insects like spiders and thrips live in the moss. Some birds use the moss to build nests. The parula warbler and the Baltimore oriole weave Spanish moss into a hanging sac-like nest to have their young.

At least two species of bats use Spanish moss for cover. Red bats and pipistrelles use masses of Spanish moss as resting places during the day. The bats may be attracted to the moss because of the high insect population.

Each mass of Spanish moss is made up of long, slender, gray-green filaments. The filaments are actually the stems and leaves of the plant. The leaves are able to produce food through the process of photosynthesis.

Spanish moss obtains water and nutrients from the air and the rain which contains dissolved minerals. The moss has scales on the leaves which act as pumps to draw moisture from the outside of the plant to the inside.

Spanish moss prefers trees with horizontal limbs and rough bark like many oaks, hackberry and pines provide. Some trees such as Camphor trees produce toxic substances which prevent Spanish moss from growing on them.

Spanish moss needs a lot of sun to thrive. Old abandoned homes are good habitats for moss to live because many of the trees are older and in decline. Declining trees have less foliage and allows for more sunlight to reach the limbs.

The plant reproduces by seeds and by vegetative parts. The seeds and stem pieces are transported by wind and animals where they lodge in the rough bark of their host tree and begin to grow. The seeds disperse between December and March. Strong storms accelerate the spread of moss. If you have a tree with excessive amounts of Spanish moss, it can cause the tree to decline by blocking the sunlight to the leaves.

Fertilization around your tree can increase the vegetative growth of the tree and shade the moss. Over time the shade should thin the quantity of moss. Hand removal can be done if the moss is within reach. In some situations chemical controls can be used. A product called Kocide is labeled to control Spanish moss, but the problem is reaching the moss to spray it.

Jake Price is the University of Georgia extension agent/coordinator, Lowndes County. More information: Call (229) 333-5185, or email jprice@uga.edu.