Texas Wildbuds
Tillandsia usneoides
(Spanish Moss)
Tillandsia usneoides
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Hidalgo Co. 3807
Tillandsia usneoides
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Hidalgo Co. 3802
Tillandsia usneoides
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Hidalgo Co. 3802
Tillandsia usneoides
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Hidalgo Co. 6099
| Scientific Name | Tillandsia usneoides | USDA PLANTS Symbol | TIUS |
| Common Name | Spanish Moss | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 42371 |
| Family | Bromeliaceae (Bromeliad) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description | Habitat: Shady, humid deciduous woodlands; common on branches of trees, especially Live Oak and Bald Cypress, sometimes on posts and wires. Plant: Pendant perennial epiphyte, fibrous and rootless typically wrapped around and drooping from branches or slabs of bark of host trees; stringy gray stems (1 mm in diameter) extend downward, usually in masses, as much as 20 ft. Leaves: At stem tips, groups of 4 to 8 very narrow twisted or contorted, gray to silver-gray linear thread-like (filiform) leaves, often round or trough-shaped in cross-section, 5/8 to 2-3/4 inches long and 1 to 2 mm wide; surfaces densely grayish-scaly. Inflorescence: Single inconspicuous tubular flowers 1/4-inch across, with 3 spreading yellow-green petals; stamens and stigma not protruding. Blooming Period: February to June. References: Southeastern Flora, Wikipedia, Flora of North America and Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Note: Tillandsia recurvata is not a moss; it is an epiphyte, a vascular plant, that attaches to tree bark but does not root into the tree or take nutrients or water from it, instead making its own food and getting the water it needs from the atmosphere. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Texas Status: Native |
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2026
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