Hi shopperbloke - Spanish Moss, Old man's Whiskers or to call it but its right name of Tillandsia usneoides is a very versatile plant to grow in your garden.

Apart from being attractive to look at it is also very useful for embellishing displays etc. I hang mine from the branches of trees and shrubs in the garden and it seems to give things that "natural look".

I've been told that in some parts of America it is a breeding ground for "midges" and for that reason a lot of people won't have it in their yards, but that isn't the case here in Australia.

I find the best way to display it is when I mount a plant on a tree and after attaching the plant, I use it to hide the ties which I have attached the plant with. In no time at all it is soon hanging below the plant and looking like it and the plant have been growing there forever.

I also read somewhere that if you mulch the top of you pots with dead Spanish Moss it will act as an insect repellent; I haven't tried this so I can't' say if it works or not.

I will also randomly just hang some from pots which are suspended among my collection, this gives a good effect and helps to add a little variety.

I'm attaching (a not very good pic) to illustrate what I am saying.

All the best, Nev.

{{gwi:486407}}

I've tried it a couple of times but unfortunately it doesn't like it here. Closer to the coast some people manage to keep it in small amounts in a protected spot but generally it doesn't like the heat and low humidity we usually get during our dry season. Probably setting it up mear a fountain/waterfall in a sheltered spot would work well for me, when I get the time to do that, LOL.

Nev, that's a very nice specimen of Spanish moss you got there! And I am going to use it to conceal the strings I use to tie orchids and tillandsia.
Tropicbreeze, I am living in Malaysia and we are having rainforest tropical climate here. Spanish moss grows so quick here.

Thanks guys for the response and suggestions!
-Hafez

Shopperbloke, you've got the humidity there. We've got a 6 months (sometimes 7) dry season when humidity can get too low. But the temperatures are always high, in the low to mid 30's. I really want to get over to Malaysia some time and do a bit of hiking. Always wanted to get up into the Cameron Highlands.

I have spanish moss on my porch and its very dry so I put a small fountain under it and it thrives.