Spanish Moss might look like a decorative plant, but it’s actually an emerging weed that poses a risk to our local environment.
Despite its name, Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is neither Spanish nor a moss. It is an air plant that grows by clinging to trees and absorbing moisture and nutrients from the air. While it may seem harmless, it can have negative effects for native plants and bushland.
Why is Spanish Moss a problem?
- It can smother trees, blocking sunlight and limiting photosynthesis, which can eventually kill the host tree.
- It disrupts ecosystems by altering water and nutrient cycles, changing habitats, and even affecting fire behaviour.
- It’s especially dangerous to critically endangered bushland in northern Sydney, including the Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest and Blue Gum High Forest.
Spanish Moss spreads easily – mainly through human activity, such as neighbours sharing plants with each other. Birds and possums also help spread it by using it for nesting material.
What you can do
- Don’t buy, share or plant Spanish Moss.
- If you have it on your property, remove it by hand and dispose of it in your green waste bin.
- Report sightings using the iNaturalist app to help track the extent and spread of Spanish Moss.
For more information, see the STEP report ‘Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides): An Environmental Weed. A Preliminary Assessment in Northern Sydney’ and NSW WeedWise.