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Date: Monday, January 1, 2001 
Question/Topic: Spanish moss 
Answer/Pointer: Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is an epiphytic plant with which we are all familiar. It is not a true moss (mosses are primitive forms of plant life) but is a flowering plant related to the pineapple. Spanish moss obtains its water through dew and rainfall, and nutrients as they ash off the bark. Similar to lichens, Spanish moss will not harm the plant, although it may cause some branches to droop more than normal when present in large quantities. The only way to eliminate Spanish moss is manually, although it will be a constant chore. Given its wide distribution and that fact that we have the ideal climate for its growth, getting rid of it will probably prove labor-intensive and also quite costly if your hire someone to do it. (From article in Tallahassee Democrat, 7/92 "Learn to live with 'problem plants' " by Jeffrey G. Norcini. 
Librarian: LCLCPL 
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