Back in the United States, the Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) can be most commonly seen hanging from oak and bald cypress trees. Apparently, the reason why this airplant prefers to grow on these two species of tree is because of the high rate of foliar mineral leaching which serves as a ready, abundant supply of nutrients for the plant.
The Spanish moss is not native to Singapore and many people who have seen it will fall in love with it. Many people are mesmerised with the look of thick trusses of hanging Spanish moss. It used to be quite rare to see this plant being planted in Singapore a decade back. Nowadays, this plant is becoming quite common as large numbers of it are being imported into Singapore. It grows pretty well here and people hang them on a great variety of supports, such as frangipani tree branches or use them as decorative material in an artistic sculpture.
For those of us who have visited HortPark recently, one should have noticed Spanish moss hanging from the forks between the branches of a majestic rain tree (Samanea saman). The tree is in a location just before one exits the Silver Garden. Having a silvery look, which matches perfectly with the main theme of this garden, the Spanish moss is definitely at home in this garden. Hence for those of us who wants to construct a silver garden at home, do consider planting the Spanish moss!
The Spanish moss does pretty well under semi-shaded conditions in Singapore. Under optimal growing conditions, the Spanish moss will look silvery and fluffy and does not require much care. Full sun or overly windy conditions can cause the plant to dry out quickly. Spanish moss is difficult to upkeep in the apartment growing environment due to the lack of humidity and presence of drying winds.
