Spanish Moss

• • Due to this fact, Spanish moss is classified as an Epiphyte

What does it mean to be an Epiphyte:

• • • Epiphyte are a type of plant that grows on another plant without gaining food from them directly

      • A representation in spanish moss as an epiphyte can be seen in the bottom image to the right (this image is found from isuagcenter.com)

• • These tiny gray scales trap and store water until the plant gets thirsty

  • These little scales hold so much water that the plant can go through a long period of drought and still survive

Did you know that Spanish moss can change colors?

• • • After it rains, the spanish moss plumps up from holding water and begins to apprear more green in color

• • These tiny gray scales capture dust from the air to feed on

  • The host tree does not help the Spanish Moss in the feeding process, it simply supports his friend so that he can reach the dust

  • These little gray scales actually help the Spanish Moss hold on to his tree friends, and secure him so that he does not fall out of the tree

• • Spanish moss is thought to have come from crust algae that formed along a water edge, and evolved into the Spanish moss we know today.

• • Originally Spanish moss is believed to have originated from the Peruvian Andes

• Spanish moss is native to Mexico, Central American, the southeastern United States, and the Caribbean

• In the United States Spanish moss grows from from Texas to Virginia (can be seen in distribution map below found from flordia.plantatlas.usf.edu)

  • Spanish moss is found in these areas due to their warm climate an high moisture

• • • Spanish moss tends to hang around swamplands, rivers and estuaries all throughout the Southeastern United States

    • Spanish moss can be seen in healthy trees such as Liveoak, Pine trees, Oak or Cypress trees, but can adapt to most tree species.

(B) Propagation Dispersal:

• If a section of Spanish moss is broken off it will actually grow into its own separate Spanish moss plant. This process is called asexual proagation

• Birds often use Spanish moss to makes their nest. They grab sections of the plant and carry to their nesting site, bringing Spanish moss to new locations

• Spanish moss has adapted to not have any roots!

  • The lack of roots also influenced the plant to adapt to different methods of retrieval of nutrition and water

• Spanish moss uses its tiny scales and threadlike structure to cling to its host without the use of root anchors

Fun Fact:

• • • • The fact that Spanish moss does not have roots that anchor it to a host tree is what makes them an atypical Epiphyte, as Epiphytes typically anchor them self to their hosts with their roots