A question for the US people

[Letho]

Well, not exclusively for the people from the US of A, but I think they're most likely to have an answer. There's this tree that's been bugging me. Yes, a tree. I don't know what's it called and I don't have a photo of it, but it has like a very broad crown and at a certain time of year there's this white cotton/silky/whatever stuff hanging from the branches in sheets or something. That's about as much as I know about it.

The reason why I'm asking the people from the US about this is because I saw this tree in several movies all taking place over yonder, so I figured that that sort is specific for certain parts of the US. For those who saw the movie "Patriot" with Mel Gibson, the tree I'm talking about can be seen briefly in one of then night scenes, when the British are looking for the children at the aunt's farm and the militia lures them away.

So yeah, that's about it. Any help to identify this motherfucker is appreciated.

[Saxon]

Did the white silky stuff look like this (http://theflees.com/Gallery/louisianabayou2003/spanish%20moss.jpg)? If so, then it's spanish moss you're talking about which is very common throughout the south (Louisiana especially). That may give you the clue you need to track down the trees on which this stuff grows on.

[Terminus Mortis]

I don't know anything specific about the tree itself, Saxon seems to have that covered, but I can guarantee I could tell you how to get rid of it. I'm not sure you have the chemical background for this, though.

[Letho]

Thank you, Saxon. I thought the white stuff was a product of some specific tree, like some weird sort of blooming, but apparently I was wrong. This explains why I couldn't find the info myself, as I was always looking for a tree that makes the white stuff. Still, it's good to finally know.

And TM, I don't want to get rid of it. I like how it looks. Unfortunately, it usually grows in warm, humid climates, so chances are I won't be seeing any in this part of the world.

[Taskmienster]

Yeah, Moss is a staple here in Florida. It's on almost every tree that isn't a pine... and it's a type of air plant. Spanish Moss is what is most common in the southern states of the US, normally packaged and sold as decoration out in the west, which to us in the south is kinda funny.

Oh, and it comes complete with little red bugs (mites)... I don't normally touch it because there are a lot of mites in the moss in town.

[Karuka]

It's used as decoration? O_o

That's strange. It either kills trees or lives on dead/dying trees. But I think it kills 'em.

[Terminus Mortis]

Yeah, but you can find those mites everywhere. They're all over anything stone around here.

[AdventWings]

While the name says it's a type of moss, I think it looks more like lichen.

However, to my surprise, it's neither (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Moss).

I'd love to have some of that over at my place. Alas, the air is too cold for it to survive. I guess I'll just have to go lichen-hunting in the woods for substitute...

[Ma Navu]

Yeah, Moss is a staple here in Florida. It's on almost every tree that isn't a pine... and it's a type of air plant. Spanish Moss is what is most common in the southern states of the US, normally packaged and sold as decoration out in the west, which to us in the south is kinda funny.

Oh, and it comes complete with little red bugs (mites)... I don't normally touch it because there are a lot of mites in the moss in town.

Odd, I've lived in Florida for years and I've never heard of this plant until now. It seems as though the only staple to Florida that I know of is it's two temperatures: hot and THE SUN'S BURNING OFF MY FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

But hey, maybe that's just because of my lack of attentiveness to plants.
Or the outside world. :|

[Destrudo]

While the name says it's a type of moss, I think it looks more like lichen.

However, to my surprise, it's neither (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Moss).

I'd love to have some of that over at my place. Alas, the air is too cold for it to survive. I guess I'll just have to go lichen-hunting in the woods for substitute...

Did you go a-licken for a lichen?

Okay, that was a bad pun I'm sorry, I'm going to go stand in the E-corner now.

[Taskmienster]

no, stand in the 'bad cow pun corner' with the other puns... I HATE PUNS!

Anyway, I have them it all over all my trees outside, I don't know where you could live in Florida without seeing it, but your lucky. I hate the stuff.

[I Am Zee]

Spanish moss. It's everywhere. Get used to it.

[Melancor]

It's used as decoration? O_o


They use it a lot in Mexico as decoration for the "Nacimiento" or the Conception Scene on December, you know, with the little statues with baby Jesus and a random star above his head.

It's a filler more than anything else, something to add to the plain table (besides the Christmas lights and the other ton of little effigies) to give the look of vegetation.

[AdventWings]

It's called "the Nativity" Nyan.

*Me exits the scene to study up for Finals.*

[Ma Navu]

Anyway, I have them it all over all my trees outside, I don't know where you could live in Florida without seeing it, but your lucky. I hate the stuff.
I've been living in South Florida, where a majority of the plant-life there is artificial. Artificial, as in they used up nearly all of the land for construction, so the the plant-life you see was placed there intended only to look nice. Which fails, but that was their intent.

Case and point, my home town Hialeah. In the area, there were two massive plots of pure, no-concrete land, unaffected by people. The rest of what I saw was a concrete jungle. Nowadays, I've learned that they cleared out both plots of land, one just finished being leveled and the other they've built a Gamestop and Starbucks upon. So yeah, no plant-life leads to my inexperience with the moss.

[Taskmienster]

That's disappointing, you should come up to where me and I Am Zee live, it's beautiful... though since we've been here forever it's taken for granted by locals. I went to San diego once, and it was all concrete, and my family out there loves moss for decorating things... I didn't get it. Nor did I see what it was used for...

[Terminus Mortis]

Looking at some of those pictures it is sort of beautiful, isn't it? It would suck to have it growing all over everything, though. Have to go out and cut it down too often. Don't get me wrong, I love cutting things and especially when chainsaws and napalm are involved (Try Sterno), but it does get to be a hassle after a while.

[I Am Zee]

You wouldn't have to do much cutting. That stuff is about as resilient as public bathroom toilet paper.

[Terminus Mortis]

Well that just takes the fun out of it.