What is the Gray Fuzzy Stuff Hanging from Trees in Florida?

So, what is that gray stuff hanging from trees in Florida?

First, the silver-ish garland you see in many Florida trees can also be found in Georgia, Texas, Virginia, as well as South America and Mexico. Seeing a tree covered in this fuzzy grey stuff gives the trees a real Southern look. The Spanish moss, is a member of the Bromeliad family.

The grey hanging plant, commonly called Spanish Moss, is also called Florida Moss (in Florida), or tree moss.

The grey moss you see on trees does not harm the trees, and gives a really nice aged look seen in old Florida and Georgia movies.

Can you keep the moss in your home? Well, the moss could also contain mites, or chiggers, which can be very hard to see, but can irritate your skin since they bite. The mites can be more common in the Spanish Moss that has been sitting on the ground.

You can add the hanging moss to your garden, in Florida, but it requires a good amount of sunlight to grow.

A light mist of water is all the plant needs to grow. Over watering can cause the roots to rot.

Strangely, it used to be used for mattress padding and pillows during the Civil War. Certainly there are better options for mattress and pillow stuffing.

You can also see this moss, Spanish Moss, in parts of Georgia. Most nature parks in Florida will have trees with this Florida Moss, which almost looks like tree decorations.