Funnily enough, Spanish Moss is not Spanish. It’s actually native to Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America, the southern United States, and the West Indies. It’s not a moss either! Spanish Moss is part of the bromeliad family – it’s basically an air plant. Spanish Moss also doesn’t kill the tree it’s on, as is commonly believed. It absorbs its own nutrients but, it can get so thick that it blocks the trees from getting ample sunlight which can slow tree growth. I’ve always heard that chiggers live in Spanish Moss but, according to one survey done, that is also a lie. A lot of other animals ranging from tiny insects to snakes do make their home in Spanish Moss though.

Kate Deliz, 2021