Tillandsia usneoides - Spanish moss

The genus Tillandsia includes over 400 species ranging from the southern U.S. through South America. A dozen species are native to Florida. Most species form rosettes of leaves with a flower spike emerging from the center like most other bromeliads. Spanish moss is a hanging clump of very small bromeliads connected by short stems. It is an epiphyte that grows on other plants. Water and nutrients from the air collect on the tiny hairs that cover the leaves and give them the gray color. A single small green flower is produced each spring by each mature plant in the cluster.