Spanish Moss

In the South we see a lot of Spanish moss.  Similar to the Resurrection Fern,  Spanish moss is considered an air plant that lives on nutrients and water from the bark and air.  The seeds travel from tree to tree by the wind while the plant can go dormant during droughts.

Spanish moss has been used for many things like building insulation, kindling, blankets, and arts and crafts.  We’ve seen it used as mulch.  Besides mattresses it has been reported that Spanish moss was used in the first Model T’s upholstery.  Medically, it’s been used to treat rheumatism, birth pains, and diabetes.

There are several legends on where it came from and how it got its name.  Two of them are:

·         After a Native American women died, her distraught husband cut off her braids and hung them in a tree.  The braids transformed into Spanish moss and are a reminder of her death and his sorrow.

·         A Spanish soldier fell in love with an Indian chief’s daughter. The chief forbade the marriage and tied the Spaniard to the top of an ancient oak tree until he would disavow his love.  The Spaniard refused and said that his love would continue to grow even after death.  Without food or water, the Spaniard died still tied in the tree and was left there as a warning to future suitors.  Soon the Spaniard’s beard grew and grew.  The daughter refused to take a husband unless the Spaniard’s beard vanished from the tree.  As time went on, the beard grew covering trees far from the village.  Legend says that when Spanish moss disappears, the Spaniard’s love will have finally died with it.

Of course, it’s also just cool to see this in the South!