Bromeliaceae

Spanish moss

Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L.

Family: Bromeliaceae
Genus: Tillandsia

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Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) — FlowerPhoto: Brandon Wheeler, CC0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (29)

Afrikaans: Spaanse mos
Arabic: الطحلب الإسباني
arz: الطحلب الاسبانى
Chinese: 松萝菠萝, 松蘿鳳梨, 松萝凤梨, 空气凤梨
Czech: Tilandsie provazovkovitá
Dutch: Spaans mos
English: Spanish moss, Black moss, Florida moss, Grey beard, Long moss, Old man's beard, Old man’s whiskers, Vegetable horsehair
Filipino: Buhok ni Ester
Finnish: Naavatillandsia, Espanjansammal
French: Barbe de vieillard, Barbe espagnole, Fille de l'air
Georgian: Ლუიზიანური ხავსი
German: Louisianamoos, Spanisches Moos, Spanish moss
Greek: Τιλλάνντσια η ουσνειοειδής
Haitian Creole: Bab panyòl
Hebrew: איזוב ספרדי
Hungarian: Zuzmószerű szakállbromélia, Spanyolmoha
Japanese: サルオガセモドキ, ウスネオイデス, スパニッシュモス
Korean: 수염틸란드시아
Lithuanian: Kedeninė tilandsija
nah: Pachtli
Norwegian Bokmål: Spansk mose
pam: Buwak nang Ester, Buak nang Ester
Persian: خزه اسپانیایی
Polish: Oplątwa brodaczkowa, Hiszpański mech, Oplątwa brodaczkowata
Quechua: Sach'a millma, Qaqa wiquntuy
Russian: Тилландсия уснеевидная, Испанский мох, Луизианский мох
Spanish: Agavepalo, Barba de español, Barba del viejo, Cuarque, Heno, Musgo español, Paste
Swedish: Spansk mossa
Thai: เคราฤษี, มอสสเปน

Synonyms

Dendropogon usneoides (L.) Raf.
Renealmia usneoides L.
Strepsia usneoides (L.) Nutt. ex Steud.
Tillandsia crinita Willd. ex Beer
Tillandsia filiformis Lodd. ex Schult. & Schult.f.
Tillandsia trichoides Kunth
Tillandsia usneoides f. cretacea Mez
Tillandsia usneoides f. crispa André
Tillandsia usneoides f. ferruginea André
Tillandsia usneoides f. filiformis André
Tillandsia usneoides f. genuina André
Tillandsia usneoides f. longissima André
Tillandsia usneoides f. major André
Tillandsia usneoides f. robusta É.Morren ex Mez
Tillandsia usneoides var. cretacea (Mez) Mez
Tillandsia usneoides var. crispa André
Tillandsia usneoides var. ferruginea (André) Mez
Tillandsia usneoides var. ferruginea A.Cast.
Tillandsia usneoides var. filiformis André
Tillandsia usneoides var. filiformis (André) Mez
Tillandsia usneoides var. longissima André
Tillandsia usneoides var. longissima (André) Mez
Tillandsia usneoides var. major André
Tillandsia usneoides var. robusta (É.Morren ex Mez) Mez

Flowers

In flower: April to May (from 351 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: white (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Vine
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Brandon Wheeler, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Line Juul Nielsen, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: yakovlev.alexey from Moscow, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sandra Keller, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Fernando Junior, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Fernando Junior, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Casini Gianni, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Fernando Junior, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Simon Tonge, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: remirouen, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Tillandsia

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.