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Re: TT: Re: Tree-top shrubs - an epiphyte?
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On Sun, 1 Feb 1998, Tom Kimmerer wrote:
> Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneiodes, is an epiphyte. Surprisingly, it isn't
> a moss at all but a flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae, the pineapple
> family. It grows on hardwood trees in the deep south, where high humidity
> and rainfall bring adequate water and nutrients to the plants. It is an
> integral part of community forestry in cities such as Savannah, where
> streets lined with live oak draped in Spanish moss are highly valued.
Thanks for the info, Tom. I should have realized that we were seeing
mistletoe down there. About the Spanish moss, does it 'know' that 'it
grows on hardwood trees?' If it takes no nutrients from its host, then
wouldn't it be just as likely to gather on other trees, houses, phone
cables? Are there trees that Spanish moss doesn't like? One would
suspect that the hardwoods provide for a more 'sustainable' environment.
Richard@Flora.Com
TreeTown ListOp
Baltimore USDA Zone 7
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