Spanish-moss, FL
Spanish-moss, FL

Hard to believe it’s June already. The 2010 SoFoBoMo project is now underway but I’m certainly not ready to begin, heck, I’m not even feeling very inspired about it at this point. Perhaps it’ll come to me.

Today’s photo is of “Spanish-moss,” but come to find out it’s not even a true moss. It’s an epiphytic or air plant which grows on another plant but doesn’t feed on it as a parasitic plant would — it makes its own nutrients. It may not be a parasite but it can cause damage to the host tree by over-shading leaves of the host and/or breaking limbs and branches with its weight.

I’ve seen Spanish-moss since I was a little boy going on vacations to the South Carolina beaches with my family. On those car trips spotting it always marked we were close to reaching our destination. Those views of Spanish-moss were of long stringy clumps looking much like long grey beards. I find this closer view showing the intricate detail of the stems and growth perhaps less beautiful but more interesting.

10 Comments

  1. I never knew that, so lesson learned. I have not done much with the SoFoBoMo project but think about doing it, which mean it won’t get done. Something about taking action that needs to happen. I am tossing around the idea you through at me. I could even do something with he hotels such as stairs, windows, furnishing. Or, a project with sights around my hotels. Still just thinking.

    • Monte, I didn’t know about Spanish-moss either until I did a little research. Currently I have no ideas about SoFoBoMo…afraid I just don’t care about it at the moment. :-)

  2. Somehow I have always liked the look of Spanish Moss in B&W.

  3. I like the filigree look of the moss. Fine processing to get this excellent range of tones.

    • don, thanks. I seldom see the word “filigree” used, good word — I looked it up in the dictionary to make sure I understood it’s meaning. Perhaps that says something about me. ;-)

  4. Well, Earl. You’ve got the right attitude. If you don’t feel like it, don’t. It shouldn’t be work. I’m excited about it, but haven’t started yet. Last year I made it in just past the wire by a day or two. I floundered badly, but then hit an idea when I visited Ohio and things seemed to click.

    • Hi Paul, well I’m going into this hoping some inspiration will strike me at some point. If not, it just won’t happen and that’s okay too. :-)

  5. Great image, b&w really makes this powerful.