Spanish moss

Tillandsia usneoides, (til-LAND-see-uh us-nee-OY-deez) also known commonly as: Spanish moss, Graybeard, Long moss, and Old Man's Beard.

Tillandsia usneoides

Taxonomy

• Spanish moss is an epiphyte within the Bromeliaceae family.

	Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Classification	Plantae	Embryophyta	Liliopsida	Poales	Bromeliaceae	Tillandsia	T. usneoides

Conservation Status

Spanish moss is listed as Least Concern. [1] [4]

Description

Tillandsia usneoides and Epiphyte[3] that typically grows on woody branches. It is within the Bromeliad [2], meaning that it is not actually a moss, but a flowering plant. [6] Spanish moss is an evergreen herbaceous perennial. [3]

Identification

Spanish moss is found in dense clumps. In color it appears gray when dry and green when wet and looks like a lichen. It is rootless and its leaves are tubular and gray. to the touch it feels rough and bendable.[3][4][6]

Habitat and Distribution

Spanish moss can be found in the southern United States, Central America, and most of northern South America.[3] It has also been brought to Australia and become common there. Spanish moss is native to tropical areas with a high relative humidity. It typically thrives on live woody plants like oak and pine trees in wet ecosystems like estuaries, rivers, swamps, and other coastal regions[7]

Human Uses

Spanish moss has many ethnobotanical uses. It has been used over the course of thousands of years as bedding, mulch, building material, and as a plant medicine in different cultures. Now it's used for aesthetics when including in floral arrangements and crafts. People also cultivate it in their gardens. As a plant medicine it is thought to help treat arthritis, diabetes, common colds, and hemorrhoids. [2]

Sources

[1] Treviño Zevallos, I. 2019. Tillandsia usneoides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T131368905A131369229. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T131368905A131369229.en. Accessed on 29 April 2025.

[2] Hand, Jr., Duke, E. R., & Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program. (n.d.). Spanish moss. https://cafs.famu.edu/cooperative-extension/pdf/Spanish%20Moss%20extension%20brochure.pdf

[3] Tillandsia usneoides (Graybeard, Long Moss, Old Man’s Beard, Spanish Moss) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2025, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tillandsia-usneoides/#:~:text=Tillandsia%20usneoides%20(Graybeard%2C%20Long%20Moss,Carolina%20Extension%20Gardener%20Plant%20Toolbox

[4]Vascular plants of North Carolina. (n.d.). https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/plant_list.php?name_sn=Tillandsia%20usneoides

[5] Spanish moss - Tillandsia usneoides. (n.d.). Ukhouseplants. https://www.ukhouseplants.com/plants/spanish-moss-tillandsia-usneoides-1

[6] Leotis, A. (2022, January 5). Spanish Moss • Jekyll Island, Georgia • Vacation, Conservation, and Education Destination. Jekyll Island, Georgia • Vacation, Conservation, and Education Destination. https://www.jekyllisland.com/magazine/spanish-moss/

[7] Plant Fact Sheet/Guide Coordination Page, National Plant Data Center, Manhart, J. R., & USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center. (n.d.). Plant Guide. In Plant Materials. https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_tius.pdf