Spanish moss

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is a rootless air plant that hangs in soft, silvery, draping strands. It takes all its water and food through its leaves, so it is never planted in soil – you simply drape it over a hook, branch or mount. That makes it an easy, unusual houseplant for a bright, humid, well-aired spot.

Quick Details

• Container Size: None – draped over a hook, branch, wire or mount; not potted.
• Indoor Suitability: A genuine houseplant – the grower grows it indoors; it thrives in bright, indirect light.
• Best Spot: Bright shade with even a little gentle light; keep it out of harsh midday sun and away from heaters, air-con and fans.
• Soil & Drainage: None needed – it feeds through its leaves and must dry off quickly after each watering.
• Watering in Pots: Water lightly – mist or briefly soak the strands, then let them dry in an airy spot.

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• A real houseplant: The grower keeps this one indoors. Give it a bright position with even a little soft light; a bathroom or kitchen suits it because of the humidity, but then water less. Keep it well clear of ventilators, heaters and air-conditioning, which dry the leaves too fast.
• Windowsill growing: A bright sill out of harsh midday sun is ideal – the extra light keeps the rosette compact and well coloured.
• Overwintering: These are tender tropicals. Indoors they are happy year round; if they summer outside, bring them in well before cold nights arrive.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & wind: In the warm season it can hang outdoors in bright shade – drape it where air moves but wind cannot fling it about. Shelter it from strong midday sun, which scorches and dries it, and mist more often, as moving air dries the strands quickly.
• Practicalities: No pots to lift or drain, so weight is never an issue – just make sure water can run off freely and the plant dries within a few hours.

Displaying, Watering & Long-Term Care

• How to hang it: Following the grower, simply drape or loosely tie the strands over an object, hook or branch – fix it just enough that the wind will not carry it off; the main job is choosing a bright, airy spot.
• Watering: Water lightly – mist or briefly soak the strands, then let them dry in an airy spot. Never leave it sodden – trapped water rots the strands.
• Feeding: Now and then add a very dilute bromeliad or air-plant fertiliser to the misting water; it feeds lightly through the leaves.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Through much of the year
• Flower Appearance: Tiny three-petalled flowers in green, pale yellow or white, tucked among the strands and easy to miss
• Edibility: Ornamental air plant; the flowers are not eaten

Detailed Blooming Overview

Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is a rootless epiphyte that drapes in silvery strands and flowers over a long stretch of the year. Its blooms are very small and inconspicuous, so the plant is grown for its trailing foliage rather than its display; the flowers are lightly fragrant, most noticeable in the evening.

Flower Characteristics

• Very small flowers with three petals, in green, pale yellow or white.
• Faintly scented, especially at night.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Managing the bloom: No thinning or deadheading is needed – the flowers are tiny and self-managing.
• Growing conditions: As an air plant it takes moisture and nutrients from the air, so good humidity and air movement keep it healthy enough to flower.