It's been a couple of years since this was covered here, so I'm going to talk about this again. Spanish Moss isn't moss and it isn't Spanish. It's a native bromeliad (Tillandsia usneoide). It got its common name from the French who called it Barbe Espagnol, or “Spanish Beard.” The Spanish called it Pelo Francais or "French Hair".
"Spanish Beard" and then "Spanish Moss" is what stuck. There's a very similar bromeliad native to Florida that might be mistaken for a young Spanish Moss. That's Ball Moss.
Both species are epiphytes, meaning they get their nutrients from the air. The grow shallow roots to anchor into the bark of a tree, but do not take any nutrients from the host.
The shade of a healthy tree's canopy will limit the photosynthesis available to these epiphytes, preventing them from overtaking the tree.
The effort to remove Spanish Moss from a tree can actually damage the tree, so it shouldn't be done merely for aesthetics. A weakened tree may benefit from having a portion of the moss hand-picked until it recovers its strength.
It is possible to use a spray to kill the Spanish moss, but this treatment is rather costly, takes a long time, and leaves the dead moss to fall out all over your yard over an extended period.
This blogger and his Tree Service Professional client suggest that landowners learn to love this native plant. If there is a tree that actually needs to have some moss removed, or you're not sure if it's the right route, please call Mid Florida Tree Service: 813-986-2258
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