Thursday, February 12, 2015

Spanish Moss

A few weeks ago when my wife Jilda and I were driving to the beach, we passed through parts of south Alabama down below Montgomery and the trees were hanging full of this Spanish Moss.

I'm not sure what it is about this that fascinates me, but it does. For one thing, it can be photogenic.

I thought for a long time that it was like a fungus, but turns out, it's an air plant.

The Kew website offers the following information.

Spanish moss possesses striking adaptations to its environment. The entire surface of the shoot is covered with highly specialized trichomes (scales) which absorb water and nutrients from the atmosphere; they also reduce transpiration and reflect strong light. Tillandsia usneoides prefers moist habitats and is often abundant near rivers, ponds and lakes.

Each time we go south, I stop and snap a few photographs to add to my mossy collection.


11 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:51 PM

    Beautiful & lacy, but it could be an illustration for a Stephen King novel!!

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  2. Spanish moss gives that eerie look of darkness and the feel that something unexpected can be just ahead. It gives that area of the country a unique appearance.

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  3. I've always loved the Spanish moss. No matter the story, my mental image of all ghostly encounters includes foreboding Spanish moss laden backgrounds. I'm weird that way.

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  4. Where we come from in NC there was always a sure sign someone had been to the beach, they always returned with spanish moss hooked to the Radio antennea.
    And yes, it makes somve very interesting shots, some eerie!!!

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  5. I've heard it referred to as Spanish Beard, or is that something different?

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  6. When I was traveling through Virginia in 1964, I bought a little bag of Spanish Moss to take back to California. Lots of tourists were buying it. It died here, but I'm very glad to see there was some left after the sale. I think it needs the humidity of southern environs. Lovely photo.

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  7. I always associate mossy bearded trees to boggy spooky places with foggy nights.
    I never studied moss but I have several green low growing species in my own yard in shady places. They also grow on rocks and even on my old roof that needs replacing.

    JB

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  8. Looks like a scene from a science fiction / mystery movie. Nice shot.

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  9. We have tons of Spanish moss. Favorite Young Man told me not to touch it, but I don't know why.

    Love,
    Janie

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  10. It definitely is fascinating to look at...it's so airy and beautiful in it's own way!

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