Intermediate
skill rating
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Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss)
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2 hours care
per year
per year
8m
Max height
Max height
0.3m
Max spread
Max spread
5-10 years
To maturity
To maturity
Plant details
Botanical name
Tillandsia usneoides
Other names
Spanish moss, Old man's beard, Black moss, Florida moss, Hanging moss, Long beard, Long moss, New Orleans moss, Southern moss, Tree beard, Vegetable hair, Grey moss, Gray moss
Genus
Tillandsia Tillandsia
Species
T. usneoides - T. usneoides is a tender, pendent, epiphytic perennial with rootless, branching, wiry stems bearing cylindrical, grey-green leaves and, in late spring or autumn, tubular, yellow-green or pale blue flowers with silvery-grey bracts.
Tillandsia usneoides is: Evergreen
Habit
Pendulous
Flower
Yellow-green, Pale-blue in Spring; Yellow-green, Pale-blue in Summer
Foliage
Grey-green in All seasons
How to care
Watch out for
Specific pests
Aphids , Glasshouse red spider mite , Red spider mite (box and other) Aphids , Glasshouse red spider mite , Red spider mite (box and other)
Diseases
Generally disease free.
General care
Pruning
No pruning required.
Propagation
Detach offsets in spring and attach to bark slabs. Sow seed at 27C in spring on to bundles of conifer twigs or sphagnum moss. Mist seeds and offsets daily.
Propagation methods
Offsets, Seed
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Where to grow
Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss) will reach a height of 8m and a spread of 0.3m after 5-10 years.
Suggested uses
Conservatory, Containers, Low Maintenance, Sub-Tropical
Cultivation
Under glass, grow epiphyticallly in bright, indirect light with moderate to high humidity. Mist daily with rainwater & apply a 1/4-strength, low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser monthly. Outdoors in frost-free areas, grow in a tree in moist, partial shade.
Light
Partial Shade
Aspect
East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Indoor heated (H1), Tender in frost (H3)
Companion plants
We do not currently have companion plants added for this plant.
Botanical name
Tillandsia usneoides
Other names
Spanish moss, Old man's beard, Black moss, Florida moss, Hanging moss, Long beard, Long moss, New Orleans moss, Southern moss, Tree beard, Vegetable hair, Grey moss, Gray moss
Genus
Tillandsia Tillandsia
Species
T. usneoides - T. usneoides is a tender, pendent, epiphytic perennial with rootless, branching, wiry stems bearing cylindrical, grey-green leaves and, in late spring or autumn, tubular, yellow-green or pale blue flowers with silvery-grey bracts.
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Pendulous
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Colour
Flower
Yellow-green, Pale-blue in Spring; Yellow-green, Pale-blue in Summer
Foliage
Grey-green in All seasons
How to care
Watch out for
Specific pests
Aphids , Glasshouse red spider mite , Red spider mite (box and other)
Diseases
Generally disease free.
General care
Pruning
No pruning required.
Propagation
Detach offsets in spring and attach to bark slabs. Sow seed at 27C in spring on to bundles of conifer twigs or sphagnum moss. Mist seeds and offsets daily.
Propagation methods
Offsets, Seed
Monthly care advice
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Where to grow
Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss) will reach a height of 8m and a spread of 0.3m after 5-10 years.
Suggested uses
Conservatory, Containers, Low Maintenance, Sub-Tropical
Cultivation
Under glass, grow epiphyticallly in bright, indirect light with moderate to high humidity. Mist daily with rainwater & apply a 1/4-strength, low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser monthly. Outdoors in frost-free areas, grow in a tree in moist, partial shade.
Light
Partial Shade
Aspect
East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Indoor heated (H1), Tender in frost (H3)
USDA zones
Zone 11, Zone 10, Zone 9, Zone 8
In order to add a note on this plant, please add this plant to your plant lists.
| This plant likes... | Garden match | |
| Light: | Partial Shade | Tell us... |
| Aspect: | East, West | Tell us... |
| Exposure: | Sheltered | Tell us... |
| Hardiness: | Indoor heated (H1), Tender in frost (H3) | Tell us... |
ARTICLES WITH THIS PLANT
By West London based garden designer Jonathan Snow. This year, Jonathan and Trailfinders want to transport visitors several thousand miles west around the globe, to the temperate rainforests of South… read more
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