Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

Spanish Moss in Nj


Nj Palms

Recommended Posts

I got this Spanish moss from Savannah just this week. Put it on an overhanging broadleaf oak and a bald cypress in the front of the house. Didn't put too much on that one as I heard deer may eat Spanish moss. I plan to take the moss in only when it gets below 10 two or three times a year. I will leave some strands out to weather it out. Does anyone know the min. temp that it can take? P.S sorry for the photo spam.

IMG_5956.JPG

IMG_5954.JPG

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Neat stuff. I have some in several places. I had to look up its cold hardiness but research tells me spanish moss can survive down to 15F (zone 8b).

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hardiness depends on where you got it from, in my experience. I got moss from its native range in Virginia Beach and it wasn’t damaged at 2-5 degrees, but I had some I bought from Florida that did not survive those temperatures. Anyway, good luck!

Edited by sevapalms
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I grow it here in Virginia, it really likes heat and humidity. Spanish Moss is native in coastal parts of Southeast Virginia. I'm not sure how it will do in NJ. It does not like being on metal too much. Yours looks good and I hope it survives! 

Edited by PalmTreeDude

PalmTreeDude

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Laaz said:

You can have it, it's full of bugs...

I've surprisingly never had an issue with bugs on Spanish Moss. I wash it as soon as I get it so that may help.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Laaz said:

You can have it, it's full of bugs...

I'm with you. Why on earth someone would choose to grow it, is beyond me.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, NorCalKing said:

I'm with you. Why on earth someone would choose to grow it, is beyond me.

As someone who lives both in the South and within its native range, I find myself fortunate.  It might have bugs, but it's beauty is worth it.  If it didn't grow here and thought it had a chance, I'd try to grow it.  I wish it was as dense here as it is in parts of Virginia Beach. 

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 1

USDA Hardiness Zone 7b/8a

AHS Heat Zone 7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Nj Palms said:

I've surprisingly never had an issue with bugs on Spanish Moss. I wash it as soon as I get it so that may help.

Have to agree.. For all the times i have spent raking up old clumps off the ground around the house, at work after a storm, or just harvesting a handful out of trees when in Florida, never had issues w/ any "uninvited guests".  Old stuff that has been sitting on the ground for awhile?.. i might avoid collecting that however..

As for why someone, ( including myself ) would grow it / want to grow it within ...or well beyond it's native range?..    idk,  lol, ..with that kind of thinking, why grow anything.

 

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, NorCalKing said:

I'm with you. Why on earth someone would choose to grow it, is beyond me.

 I have heard of people doing reverse zone pushing. Some try growing spruces and other temperate trees in South Texas and South Florida.

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

I have seen it in Virginia beach.  I believe they are native around there too

Yes it is. First Landing State Park is loaded with it. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Nj Palms said:

 I have heard of people doing reverse zone pushing. Some try growing spruces and other temperate trees in South Texas and South Florida.

There are lots of conifers that I would try down here that I could easily grow up north. I've never been a big spruce fan however.  They look good when young but as they get larger loos their appeal to me. :shrug: 

 

The Columbia Zoo has an Eastern Hemlock growing that is several hundred miles from it's native range. Quite fortunate as it's far enough removed to keep is away from the hemlock woolly adelgid that has made skeletons of record sized trees in the smokies. :(

I was fortunate when I lived up north that I was far enough north that the hemlock woolly adelgid couldn't handle the cold and I built a post and beam home and barn from it on my property. Prolonged temps of -5 to -10 kill the adelgid. I have family is Massachusetts though that have lost dozens of hemlocks - Just not quite cold enough. 

 

I've heard that spanish moss harbors chiggers, however, I've never had any issue with it down here or any other bugs. It certainly helps to create the hot humid SE feel though. I personally can take it or leave it. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RJ said:

There are lots of conifers that I would try down here that I could easily grow up north. I've never been a big spruce fan however.  They look good when young but as they get larger loos their appeal to me. :shrug: 

 

The Columbia Zoo has an Eastern Hemlock growing that is several hundred miles from it's native range. Quite fortunate as it's far enough removed to keep is away from the hemlock woolly adelgid that has made skeletons of record sized trees in the smokies. :(

I was fortunate when I lived up north that I was far enough north that the hemlock woolly adelgid couldn't handle the cold and I built a post and beam home and barn from it on my property. Prolonged temps of -5 to -10 kill the adelgid. I have family is Massachusetts though that have lost dozens of hemlocks - Just not quite cold enough. 

 

I've heard that spanish moss harbors chiggers, however, I've never had any issue with it down here or any other bugs. It certainly helps to create the hot humid SE feel though. I personally can take it or leave it. 

 

 

Never heard about the Adelgid. There are some hemlock here but not many.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Have to agree.. For all the times i have spent raking up old clumps off the ground around the house, at work after a storm, or just harvesting a handful out of trees when in Florida, never had issues w/ any "uninvited guests".  Old stuff that has been sitting on the ground for awhile?.. i might avoid collecting that however..

As for why someone, ( including myself ) would grow it / want to grow it within ...or well beyond it's native range?..    idk,  lol, ..with that kind of thinking, why grow anything.

 

From that perspective, I guess I get it lol. I just know my encounters with it has always resulted in some bug issues. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Nj Palms said:

Never heard about the Adelgid. There are some hemlock here but not many.

The western and mountain hemlocks is immune to it. Not so with our eastern hemlock. 

https://chemjettreeinjector.com/woolly-adelgid/

 

americanforest.org_-848x400.jpg

 

Those grey skeletons are dead hemlocks in the Appalachians. :(

 

 

Edited by RJ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Laaz said:

Chiggers & gnats thrive in the stuff.

 

A good reason not to use it for bedding, at least not unless you treat it first.

I think it's essential to and evocative of the South. Savannah is dripping with it, which adds a romantic character to an already-beautiful city. Mobile, on the other hand, has it only in small patches, scattered around town. I haven't been able to determine why. Instead, the branches of live oak are host to Resurrection Fern ( Pleopeltis polypodioides ), a remarkable but not nearly as attractive plant. Those areas in Mobile where Spanish moss thrives aren't particularly protected or free from pollutants (Tillandsia is reportedly sensitive to pollution.) The horticulturists at Mobile Botanical Garden are also stumped. God knows, it isn't deprived of heat and humidity. I inoculated my live oak with some back in January; we'll see how it does.

Good luck with your trial in NJ!

 

Edited by Manalto
clarity
  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Manalto said:

 

A good reason not to use it for bedding, at least not unless you treat it first.

I think it's essential to and evocative of the South. Savannah is dripping with it, which adds a romantic character to an already-beautiful city. Mobile, on the other hand, has it only in small patches, scattered around town. I haven't been able to determine why. Instead, the branches of live oak are host to Resurrection Fern ( Pleopeltis polypodioides ), a remarkable but not nearly as attractive plant. Those areas in Mobile where Spanish moss thrives aren't particularly protected or free from pollutants (Tillandsia is reportedly sensitive to pollution.) The horticulturists at Mobile Botanical Garden are also stumped. God knows, it isn't deprived of heat and humidity. I inoculated my live oak with some back in January; we'll see how it does.

Good luck with your trial in NJ!

 

Wind may keep blowing new seedlings or pieces of the trees before they get established. Either that or pollution are the only things I could think of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spanish Moss is pretty hardy. I don't know how well it can survive in New Jersey, but they're native here where I've seen them take temperatures below 5ºF for quite some time without much (if any) damage.  I would imagine that Spanish moss is hardy to at least zone 7b. 

 

On 4/29/2019 at 6:08 PM, Nj Palms said:

 I have heard of people doing reverse zone pushing. Some try growing spruces and other temperate trees in South Texas and South Florida.

Last time I was in PA, I brought home some black spruce that I am attempting to reverse zone push here. Apparently this tree is only hardy to zone 6b, but it is one of my favorites. 

  • Upvote 1

Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/29/2019 at 6:08 PM, Nj Palms said:

 I have heard of people doing reverse zone pushing. Some try growing spruces and other temperate trees in South Texas and South Florida.

I have done that in Orlando using a fridge.  Deciduous: Cut all leaves off and insert into refrigerator for three months.  Just keep soil evenly moist.  Evergreen Conifers:  Insert into fridge for 3 months and take out into sun every 2 weeks on a cool day.  Keep soil evenly moist.

The above actually works.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/29/2019 at 6:08 PM, Nj Palms said:

 I have heard of people doing reverse zone pushing. Some try growing spruces and other temperate trees in South Texas and South Florida.

Also, when I was at Green’s Nursery, I noticed that they have some healthy bloodgood Japanese maples.  This nursery is located just NW of Orlando.

I saw a healthy, large Japanese maple at a nursery in Gainesville and they are somewhat common in Tallahassee, Fl.

Edited by palmsOrl
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do like the look of your Spanish moss, it would give the right garden a jungle feel.  I wonder if it will grow in the UK.:unsure:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Jungle Jas. said:

I do like the look of your Spanish moss, it would give the right garden a jungle feel.  I wonder if it will grow in the UK.:unsure:

Im sure you have the humidity and hardiness zone but the lack of heat may be a problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, palmsOrl said:

Also, when I was at Green’s Nursery, I noticed that they have some healthy bloodgood Japanese maples.  This nursery is located just NW of Orlando.

I saw a healthy, large Japanese maple at a nursery in Gainesville and they are somewhat common in Tallahassee, Fl.

If youre interested I have some Red Maple cuttings on my ebay. Ry-485 I could even get you some small seedlings.  Any other temperate trees you are interested in I may have.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While it’s native and grows in many locations around here, I didn’t have any in my yard, so I brought some and hung it on one of my scrub oaks. Love the look of that stuff on trees. 

C7999857-2E72-4B71-AA44-601D86BA9058.jpeg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Nj Palms said:

If youre interested I have some Red Maple cuttings on my ebay. Ry-485 I could even get you some small seedlings.  Any other temperate trees you are interested in I may have.

Red maple? I loath Red maple, most invasive root system possible if you're a gardener.  They even invaded my potato buckets last year :rage:

As a former Maple Syrup maker, sugar maple on the other hand :greenthumb:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RJ said:

Red maple? I loath Red maple, most invasive root system possible if you're a gardener. 

Completely agree.  They're causing major problems in my neighborhood because they are lifting all the sidewalks.  Probably 2/3 have been removed so far, I have two big ones I need to get rid of.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/1/2019 at 9:57 AM, Nj Palms said:

Wind may keep blowing new seedlings or pieces of the trees before they get established. Either that or pollution are the only things I could think of.

Wind? Ha! Unless there's a tropical storm, Mobile is oppressively stagnant in the summer; if you're not right on the bay, you're dead meat without a ceiling fan on your veranda. The only place I know that's worse is New Orleans. Spanish moss' random occurrence can't be explained by pollution either, but thanks for trying. It's a real head-scratcher. My live oak is an old, established specimen (85' wide) so I'd love to get some moss up into the higher branches. I made bolas out of ice cubes and twine with some tillandsia tied to it but need a better means of propulsion (slingshot?) to get it high up in the tree.

Edited by Manalto
spelling
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Manalto said:

Wind? Ha! Unless there's a tropical storm, Mobile is oppressively stagnant in the summer; if you're not right on the bay, you're dead meat without a ceiling fan on your veranda. The only place I know that's worse is New Orleans. Spanish moss' random occurrence can't be explained by pollution either, but thanks for trying. It's a real head-scratcher. My live oak is an old, established specimen (85' wide) so I'd love to get some moss up into the higher branches. I made bolas out of ice cubes and twine with some tillandsia tied to it but need a better means of propulsion (slingshot?) to get it high up in the tree.

Get a crap load of Spanish Moss, separate it into thick strands, spray water on it, and throw it up as hard as you can. You can get it waaaaay up there like this. 

Edited by PalmTreeDude

PalmTreeDude

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Chester B said:

Completely agree.  They're causing major problems in my neighborhood because they are lifting all the sidewalks.  Probably 2/3 have been removed so far, I have two big ones I need to get rid of.

 

I've always wanted to try your PNW Big Leaf Maple. Pretty cool tree I might add. 

You can tap them for Syrup as well I hear, lower sugar content though. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Get a crap load of Spanish Moss, separate it into thick strands, spray water on it, and throw it up as hard as you can. You can get it waaaaay up there like this. 

OK, Mr. Koufax, you're welcome to come by and give it a try.

319 Fifth Live Oak (2)-001.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Manalto said:

OK, Mr. Koufax, you're welcome to come by and give it a try.

319 Fifth Live Oak (2)-001.jpg

Yeah you may need a bit more than a throw. That Live Oak is beautiful by the way! 

Edited by PalmTreeDude

PalmTreeDude

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, RJ said:

I've always wanted to try your PNW Big Leaf Maple. Pretty cool tree I might add. 

You can tap them for Syrup as well I hear, lower sugar content though. 

You should.. I'd suspect Big Leaf Maple would stand a decent chance back east.. Species itself grows down the entire length of the west coast to about Orange / San Diego County. While usually found near streams, it does handle some summer drought once established, as well as some degree of summer heat ( where it grows at lower elevations in Central / S. California )   That said, best looking trees i'd encounter while hiking in the Mountains between San Jose and Santa Cruz were higher up on slopes that faced the coast and are more exposed to fog.

A little different but California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii is another west coast native worth trialing back there also.  Can't remember where i'd seen it but read about someone trialing various west coast / CA native oaks either in Virginia or one of the Carolinas and having pretty good success w/ them. Might have been someone associated w/ Woodlanders' Nursery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is funny! Why would would anyone be happy about zone pushing a noxious pest like “Spanish Moss”.  Analogous to trying to push Brazilian Pepper into Georgia. 

I do not disagree that it looks stately on a Live Oak from a distance. Climb that tree, pull down the moss and you will look like you have a bad case of the measles and a very itchy case...

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1

What you look for is what is looking

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...