Amber Reeves22
Spanish Moss
On a sunny spring day of 2016, Spanish moss (Tillandsia Usneoides) was found growing upon an oak tree outside of Trask Coliseum on UNC-Wilmington’s campus. Although, Spanish moss is the common name, the species is not a moss but an angiosperm, a seed producing plant. It is not unusual to find this species around Wilmington or other southeastern areas due to its ability to survive and reproduce in warm and humid climates. Spanish moss drapes the tree in its curly thin leaves, but it is not parasitic; it uses the tree for support due to its inability to grow on the ground. The ability of plant to cover the area it inhabits can affect the tree from receiving sufficient sunlight during photosynthesis. This ultimately can cause shorter trees or weaker leaves depending on the area the moss is located.
Source: solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/environment/spani...
Spanish Moss
On a sunny spring day of 2016, Spanish moss (Tillandsia Usneoides) was found growing upon an oak tree outside of Trask Coliseum on UNC-Wilmington’s campus. Although, Spanish moss is the common name, the species is not a moss but an angiosperm, a seed producing plant. It is not unusual to find this species around Wilmington or other southeastern areas due to its ability to survive and reproduce in warm and humid climates. Spanish moss drapes the tree in its curly thin leaves, but it is not parasitic; it uses the tree for support due to its inability to grow on the ground. The ability of plant to cover the area it inhabits can affect the tree from receiving sufficient sunlight during photosynthesis. This ultimately can cause shorter trees or weaker leaves depending on the area the moss is located.
Source: solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/environment/spani...