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How to grow Spanish moss

Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides), is an easy to grow epiphyte belonging to the bromeliaca family. It typically will grow upon another living plant, such as a tree branch, but doesn’t take nutrition from this support. With lengthy strands of silver-grey leafy stems, Spanish Moss makes for an intriguing and long-lasting trailing plant in most frost-free temperate climates.

Tiny pale green flowers appear during the summer months, and can exude a light fragrance during the night hours.

Instructions

Step 1

Where to grow Spanish Moss:

Spanish Moss grows and looks its best in «dappled» sunshine throughout the day, perhaps under the canopy of trees.

You can try other places though; generally Spanish Moss is very adaptable.

Avoid placing where it will get the extreme summer sun.

Step 2

Maintenance:

Possessing «scales» that have the capacity to absorb moisture from the air, Spanish Moss mostly requires zero maintenance. During hot weather however, it will benefit from a weak solution of a seaweed or foliar fertilizer, misted on with an atomizer, at fortnightly intervals. Do this when there is no sun.

Step 3

Ways to use Spanish Moss:

Hang Spanish Moss from shrub or tree-branches.

With a little focused lighting directed into the tree at night, a magical and somewhat mystical, effect is created.

Contrary to some reports that Spanish Moss will only grow on something «living», see how this Spanish Moss is thriving on a «non-living» object.

Draped over long horizontal tubes of plastic- grid-mesh, and supported by short chains at intermittent sections, a swing-like effect will happen during prevailing winds. This helps prevent any displacement of the moss, which continues to offer an attractive curtain-like effect, to this outdoors garden-room.

Things Needed