Field notes are helpful, and I’d like to learn from others who notice a little or a lot of ball moss in their neighborhoods. Calling attention to dense ball moss in your area gives us another opportunity to identify ball moss and consider whether control is necessary or needed. He sprays with Kocide, a copper-based fungicide, if more blocks of the grid have ball moss.Īs with all matters in our gardens, awareness is key. If he finds five or more clumps in a section but the rest of the tree is clean, he recommends pruning the area with the ball moss to eliminate the epiphyte. He “divides” a tree into a grid work of 5-foot by 5-foot blocks. Matt Petty of Davey Tree’s Houston office has a formula to determine when he takes action. The moderate to heavy ball moss infestations warrant control, not just for aesthetic reasons but because I think dense colonies can affect tree health in the long run. So I keep an eye on the health of our crapes and any ball moss that pops up in the big old trees to make sure it doesn’t colonize. I believe that a small amount of ball moss is not harmful, especially to a healthy tree, which, of course, is better armed against any potential pest. Like you, I’ve watched crape myrtles become so heavily clad in the grayish balls that the tree’s foliage and flowers are diminished.
I’ve come to agree that too much is not a good thing and base my opinion on observation. While most experts say ball moss does not kill trees, there are those who have determined that when the tufts become extremely dense, they may indirectly stress the tree by shading developing buds or restricting the area for new growth. Some find the curious tufts decorative and say let them be. So, if ball moss is not a nutrient-stealing parasite, does it harm trees in other ways? Opinions vary. I’ve heard no one quibble with this, and I’m convinced because the clumps also live clinging with their pseudo-roots or holdfasts to nonliving structures, including utility lines and screens. Yes, experts tell us ball moss is not a parasite that feeds on trees, rather it uses branches for support while absorbing water and nutrients from the air. Like the related Spanish moss, it’s not a true moss. What is it, and will it harm trees?īall moss (Tillandsia recurvata), an epiphytic bromeliad, is a flowering, seed-producing air plant. I appreciate any advice you can give concerning this issue.Ī: Over the years, readers have asked about ball moss when they’ve spotted the gray-green spiky tufts perched on the branches of live oaks, crape myrtles, vitex and other trees.
I am afraid that ball moss will become the kudzu of southeast Texas.
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