Spanish moss paradise in Liberty County

One of our favorite past times in Liberty County is to sit back and relax on the porch or dock and take in the beautiful landscape that surrounds us. An all too common beauty in our scenery but one we often don’t notice or forget, are those massive Live Oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss.

Like a woman and her jewelry, the subtle gray moss is the perfect accessory to a southern oak tree. It has become an icon itself along with our sweet tea and drawls giving the viewer an instant frame of southern mind. The charming view of a tree lined path with moss peaking through is one we all know and love.

Spanish moss is often misunderstood though and many visitors are not familiar with it. It may grace many postcards but those outside the South don’t know much about it. Here are a few facts about the plant that you might not know.

1. The Spanish Moss is actually a bromeliad, not a moss at all. By this classification, it’s in the same family as the pineapple rather than actual moss.
2. It’s actually native to this region of the world rather than its name suggests. A tropical swampland is the perfect habitat for moss.
3.  Many legends exist that explain how Spanish Moss received it name but surprisingly neither Spain or the Spanish people had anything to do with it. Native Americans called it itla-okla or tree hair, but it reminded the French soldier of the long beards worn by the Spanish.
4. It’s meant to be looked at, not touched! Teeny tiny red bugs live in the moss and will eat you alive it they get to you! It’s been said that you can nuke it in the microwave to kill the bugs, but we advise you to keep your distance. Better safe than sorry!
5. The moss isn’t harmful to the tree, never growing roots or taking anything from the tree. Spanish moss thrives on rain or fog and any dust and debris in the water.

Liberty County has become a place to visit and live for many reasons and the Spanish Moss covered Live Oak tree paradise should be one of those reasons! If the moss draped trees are something you enjoying taking in we invite you to come walk through the nature trails, ride the dirt roads and look out on the horizon. The moss blowing gently in the breeze adds a special beauty to our coastal landscape.

-Erin Johnson, Creative & Content Manager  for the Liberty County CVB

The Right Blend Blog is written by two different authors employed by the Liberty County Chamber/CVB. As we are able, we rotate weeks and each writes about our individual experiences, opinions and let our writing reflect our personalities and creativity. All content provided on The Right Blend blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.