Ball Moss and Spanish Moss

So what is ball moss? What is the difference between ball moss and Spanish moss?

Is it good for a tree or harmful?

The correct name for ball moss is Tillandsia recurvata, and what is the most surprising, it’s actually not moss!

It is a plant, a member of the bromeliad family. It is a gray clump and we can find it attached to branches of oaks and sometimes other trees in Florida.

Many resources will say that ball moss are harmless to the trees. After many years of doing business and being around trees every day, I have noticed a strong connection between ball moss and dying branches. What happens is, it wraps itself around the limb, strangles it and cuts off nutrition.

Spanish moss is the long, hanging “plant” found mostly on oaks. It does not have a root system, It attaches to substrates by wrapping its stems around a surface. They take nutrients from the air and debris that collects on the plant.

Although interested to look at, to much Spanish moss can harm the tree by putting to much weight on the limbs and blocking sunlight.

The best idea is to maintain the amount of ball moss and spanish moss on your trees. We suggest to simply pull it off or trim it away