Tillandsia Recurvata Ball Moss Organic Air Plant Terrarium 1 Cluster Fresh N. FL
Tillandsia recurvata, commonly known as small ball moss or ball moss, is a flowering plant (not a true moss) in the family Bromeliaceae that grows upon larger host plants.
It grows well in areas with low light, little airflow, and high humidity, which is commonly provided by southern shade trees, often the southern live oak (Quercus virginiana).
It is not a parasite like mistletoe, but an epiphyte like its relative Spanish moss.
Tillandsia recurvata derives mainly physical support and not nutrition from its host; it photosynthesizes its own food, absorbing water that collects on its leaves.
It obtains nitrogen from bacteria, and other minerals largely from blown dust.
Though not a harmful parasite in the same sense as plants such as mistletoes that feed on the sap of the host, ball moss may compete with a host tree for sunlight and some nutrients; it rarely has a noticeable effect on growth or health.
In habit, Tillandsia recurvata tends to form a spheroid ranging in size from a golf ball to a soccer ball, though this is actually a collection of multiple "pups" growing joined together.
