Tillandsia usneoides

Spanish moss

Spanish moss is actually a member of the bromeliad family and not technically a moss. The plant has a unique growth form in that the functions of leaves, stems, and roots seem to be integrated together. The gray surface of the plant is “fuzzy” if you look close enough – this is because very thin cells known as trichomes extend from the surface of the plant to increase its absorptive surface area. Spanish moss enjoys dappled shade and humid environments, though it can tolerate some drought.

Underneath its gray exterior is a dark, fibrous core that is similar in structure to horsehair and quite a useful material. It was used in the early 1900s to stuff car seats, most notably the first Ford Model T’s. This led to the first automobile recall because they didn’t have the processing technique down well enough to remove all the red bugs (also known as chiggers) from the moss. The removal process was eventually perfected by incorporating boiling and / or oven cooking of the Spanish moss before using it. In addition to car seats, Spanish moss was used extensively as furniture and mattress stuffing. It supposedly made the coolest mattresses (...temperature-wise), which was important without air conditioning. Other uses include packing material, mulch, building insulation, and stuffing for traditional voodoo dolls. It was also used for binding mud or clay when plastering houses. The Seminole natives used Spanish moss to scrub cooking implements.

In order to process Spanish moss for commercial use, it first had to be picked from the trees upon which it grows. This was the job of moss pickers, who used long poles to bring the moss down. After harvesting, the moss was cured for three to four months in order to break down the gray outer covering, leaving only the dark interior, which weighs about 75% less than the moss in its entirety immediately after harvesting. From there, the moss was ginned and then made into bales to be shipped. Several thousand tons of moss were used commercially each year in the early 1900s. It is a very high quality, resilient fiber but due to the relatively entailed processing required to obtain the pure fibers, Spanish moss use gave way to cheaper fibers.

Today, Spanish moss is used in the floral industry for design and moisture retention in arrangements, as landscape ornamentation, in arts and crafts, and as a indicator of air quality because its absorptive qualities make it especially sensitive to pollution.

Medicinally, Spanish moss has been boiled into a tea to treat diabetes and is found in modern herbal supplements to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood glucose levels.