Nope, not Maine! I just got back from a long, get-away weekend. Took a sojourn south to visit family. It was a trip that I had been putting off and needed to be done. It was a short trip but wonderful! This was one of the scenes outside my window, and I thought this tree was worth a closer inspection. At first glance, the moss looks quite stunning against the sun coming from the rear. But of course, on closer inspection, you can see the the damage being done to most of the trees it covers. Colloquially known as 'air plant', the moss apparently doesn't actually kill the trees in most cases, but to me the strangulation is obvious. It is a beautiful tree though.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Spanish Moss
Nope, not Maine! I just got back from a long, get-away weekend. Took a sojourn south to visit family. It was a trip that I had been putting off and needed to be done. It was a short trip but wonderful! This was one of the scenes outside my window, and I thought this tree was worth a closer inspection. At first glance, the moss looks quite stunning against the sun coming from the rear. But of course, on closer inspection, you can see the the damage being done to most of the trees it covers. Colloquially known as 'air plant', the moss apparently doesn't actually kill the trees in most cases, but to me the strangulation is obvious. It is a beautiful tree though.
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The moss adds so much texture and depth to the scene. To our northern eyes (at least to my northern eyes) an image like this is beautiful but to the southern eye this image may tell a different story.
ReplyDeleteI think that I need to know more about this moss phenomenon and trees.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first moved to Florida, I found Spanish moss covers trees to be a bit creepy. Now, I love it -- especially during the golden hours.
ReplyDeletegorgeous! i really like this image
ReplyDeleteMost of the trees around here look like that and it doesn't seem to bother them. We have 100 year old live oaks that are just covered in the stuff. My grandmother always used to tell us not to play with it though, because it has red bugs (chiggers) living in it! I like the way it looks in the morning and the late afternoon.
ReplyDeleteSpanish Moss is an iconic part of the Southern garden. As Lois points out the age and size of some of the trees that are covered with it are proof that it isn't doing much damage to the tree. It uses the tree for support but does not draw nutrients from it. Most regard it as picturesque.
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