That long, gray beard you see swaying in the breeze in several spots around Lake Martin doesn’t belong to a Duck Dynasty star, though the look is unquestionably similar. Instead, it’s the most famous native bromeliad of the Southeast: Spanish Moss.
Spanish Moss is wholly misnamed – it’s neither Spanish nor moss.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%9:D A=2?E :D ?2E:G6 E@ E96 p>6C:42D[ H9:49 2C6 C@F89=J c[___ >:=6D 62DE @7 $A2:?[ @G6C 2 =:EE=6 @3DE24=6 42==65 E96 pE=2?E:4 ~462?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 ?2E:G6 C2?86 @7 $A2?:D9 |@DD DEC6E496D 7C@> ?@CE96C? $@FE9 p>6C:42 E9C@F89 r6?EC2= p>6C:42[ E96 r2C:3362? :D=2?5D 2?5 |6I:4@ FA :?E@ E96 D@FE96C? &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmw6C6 :? E96 &]$][ $A2?:D9 |@DD :D 6?56>:4 E@ E96 $@FE9[ 7C@> u=@C:52 ?@CE9 E@ ':C8:?:2 2?5 %6I2D ?@CE9 E@ pC<2?D2D] $A2?:D9 |@DD 92D 2=D@ 366? 6DE23=:D965 :? pFDEC2=:2 2?5 uC6?49 !@=J?6D:2[ H96C6 :E ?@H 8C@HD H:=5] qFE ?@E :? $A2:?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%9:D A=2?E’D D4:6?E:7:4 ?2>6 :D 2=D@ >:D=625:?8] k6>m%:==2?5D:2 FD?6@:56Dk^6>m :D :ED 7@C>2= ?2>6 2?5 “FD?6@:56D” :D {2E:? 7@C “C6D6>3=6D FD?62[” C676CC:?8 E@ E96 D4:6?E:7:4 ?2>6 7@C 362C5 =:496?j 9@H6G6C[ $A2?:D9 |@DD :D ?@E 2 =:496?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmxE’D 2=D@ ?@E 2 >@DD – @C 6G6? 2 4=@D6 C6=2E:G6 – E9@F89 :E 567:?:E6=J =@@<D >@DDJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmx?DE625[ $A2?:D9 |@DD :D 2 3C@>6=:25[ 2 72>:=J @7 b[cfd A=2?ED 7@F?5[ H:E9 @?6 6I46AE:@?[ :? EC@A:42= 2?5 DF3EC@A:42= p>6C:42] xE’D 2 3:8[ 5:G6CD6 72>:=J E92E :?4=F56D DF49 5:776C6?E DA64:6D 2D A:?62AA=6[ 7=2>:?8 DH@C5 2?5 56D6CE\5H6==:?8 9649E:2]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm$A2?:D9 |@DD :D 2=D@ 2? 6A:A9JE6[ H9:49 >62?D :E 8C@HD @? @E96C A=2?ED 7@C A9JD:42= DFAA@CE E@ 86E FA :?E@ E96 2:C 3FE :D ?@E 2 A2C2D:E6[ 3642FD6 :E 5@6D ?@E E2<6 H2E6C @C ?FEC:6?ED 7C@> :ED 9@DE] x7 :E 8C@HD E9:4< 6?@F89[ 9@H6G6C[ $A2?:D9 |@DD 42? D@>6E:>6D 92C> 2 EC66 3J D925:?8 @FE =@H6C =62G6D @C 3J 364@>:?8 D@ D2EFC2E65 H:E9 H2E6C E92E :ED H6:89E 3C62<D 2 =:>3]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm$A2?:D9 |@DD :D EJA:42==J 7@F?5 52?8=:?8 7C@> 4JAC6DD @C @2< 3C2?496D[ H96C6 :E AF==D >@:DEFC6 2?5 ?FEC:6?ED 7C@> @FC 9F>:5 $@FE96C? 2:C 2?5 =627 =:EE6C E92E 72==D FA@? :E @C 82E96CD @? EC66 =:>3D] xE E9C:G6D H96C6 E96 2G6C286 E6>A6C2EFC6 :D 2C@F?5 f_ 568C66D 2?5 H96C6 E96C6 2C6 =62DE b__ 52JD 23@G6 7C66K:?8 6249 J62C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmxE :D G:D:3=6 :? EC66D @? E96 D9@C6D @7 {2<6 |2CE:? :? 2 ?F>36C @7 A=246D[ :?4=F5:?8 t=<292E4966 rC66< 36EH66? (:?5 rC66< $E2E6 !2C< 2?5 E96 w:89H2J eb 3C:586[ ?62C xCH:? $9@2=D @? E96 %2==2A@@D2 #:G6C @? E96 FAA6C>@DE ?2G:823=6 A@:?E @7 E96 =2<6 2?5 @? w2C5J !@:?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmx?E6C6DE:?8=J[ E9:D :D 2 A=2?E E92E 92D ?@ C@@ED] xE =:E6C2==J 92?8D 24C@DD EC66 =:>3D H:E9@FE 2?49@C:?8 E@ E96>]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 A=2?E :D >256 FA @7 E9:? DE6>D FA E@ a_ 766E =@?8 H:E9 E9:?[ 4FCGJ =62G6D FA E@ a :?496D =@?8] p=E9@F89 :E :D AC:>2C:=J 8C2J[ :ED E:?J 7=@H6CD 42? 4@?E2:? E96 4@=@CD @C2?86[ J6==@H[ C65 @C 8C66?] $A2?:D9 |@DD AC@5F46D D665D 56D:8?65 E@ 42E49 E96 H:?5 2?5 =@586 :? EC66 32C<[ 3FE :E 42? 2=D@ C6AC@5F46 3J 3C62<:?8 @77 “AFAD[” @C D>2==6C A:646D E92E 364@>6 6DE23=:D965 2H2J 7C@> E96 >@E96C A=2?E 27E6C 36:?8 3=@H? 3J E96 H:?5 @C 42CC:65 @77 3J ?6DE:?8 3:C5D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmxE D66>D E@ AC676C 32=5 4JAC6DD 2?5 @2<D[ 6DA64:2==J =:G6 @2<D[ 3FE :E H:== 2=D@ 8C@H @? DH66E 8F>D[ 4C2A6 >JCE=6D 2?5 @E96C EC66D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%9:D :D 2 A=2?E E92E A=2JD 2? :>A@CE2?E C@=6 :? E96 64@DJDE6> 3J AC@G:5:?8 D96=E6C 7@C 2 8C62E ?F>36C @7 :?D64ED[ 32ED[ =:K2C5D[ 7C@8D[ D?2<6D 2?5 @E96C D>2== 2?:>2=D] |2?J 3:C5D FD6 E96 7:36CD @7 $A2?:D9 |@DD E@ =:?6 E96:C ?6DED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm!6@A=6 D2J E92E $A2?:D9 |@DD 42? 36 7F== @7 C65 3F8D[ 3FE 244@C5:?8 E@ E9@D6 H9@ 92CG6DE :E 4@>>6C4:2==J[ 49:886CD @?=J :?76DE >@DD E92E 92?8D 5@H? =@H 6?@F89 E@ E@F49 E96 8C@F?5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm$A2?:D9 |@DD 92D 925 2 ?F>36C @7 4@>>6C4:2= FD6D @G6C E96 J62CD] ~?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E H2D 23@FE 2 46?EFCJ 28@[ H96? E96 7:36CD H6C6 4@>>@?=J FD65 2D DEF77:?8 7@C >2EEC6DD6D[ 4FD9:@?D 2?5 42C D62ED] xE :D 2=D@ D@>6E:>6D FD65 2D >F=49[ 7@C 564@C2E:G6 AFCA@D6D[ 3F:=5:?8 :?DF=2E:@? 2?5 A24<:?8 >2E6C:2= @C 2D =:G6DE@4< 7665]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmxE :D D2:5 E92E 2 >2EEC6DD >256 @7 AC@46DD65 $A2?:D9 |@DD H2D 6I46AE:@?2==J 4@@= 2?5 8@@5 7@C D=66A:?8 5FC:?8 E96 9@E DF>>6C >@?E9D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp?5 :E :D 2=D@ FD65 2D 2 4@>A@?6?E @7 =@H\4@DE 2:C\4@@=:?8 F?:ED 42==65 6G2A@C2E:G6 4@@=6CD[ DH2>A 4@@=6CD @C 56D6CE 4@@=6CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmx7 J@F H2?E E@ 92CG6DE $A2?:D9 |@DD 7@C FD6 :? J@FC 9@FD6[ :E’D D>2CE E@ 4@@< :E :? 2? @G6? 2E =@H E6>A6C2EFC6 E@ ?6FEC2=:K6 2?J 4C:EE6CD[ 7F?8FD @C >@=5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmq24< E@ E96 ?2>:?8 @7 E9:D F?FDF2= 3C@>6=:25 – ?@3@5J D66>D E@ H2?E :E] x? uC6?49[ :E :D 42==65 “$A2?:D9 362C5]” x? $A2?:D9[ :E :D 42==65 “uC6?49 92:C]” $@>6 @E96C 7@=<D 42== :E “EC66 92:C” @C “8C2J362C5]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmu:?2==J[ E96C6 2C6 2 ?F>36C @7 5:776C6?E =686?5D 23@FE 9@H E9:D A=2?E 42>6 23@FE]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmw6C6UCDBF@jD @?6 7C@> k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^8C62EDE@CJE6==6C]4@>Qm8C62EDE@CJE6==6C]4@>k^2mik^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96C6’D 2? @=5[ @=5 =686?5[ E92E’D H9:DA6C65 3J $@FE96C? 7@=<D[k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp3@FE E96 =246J $A2?:D9 |@DD E92E 82C=2?5D E96 8C62E @2<D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp =@G6=J AC:?46DD 2?5 96C =@G6[ FA@? E96:C H655:?8 52J[k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm(6C6 DECF4< 5@H? 3J 2 D2G286 7@6 2>:5DE 2 3:EE6C 7C2Jjk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm&?:E65 :? 562E9 E96J H6C6 3FC:65[ D@ E96 =686?5 8@[k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“}62E9 2? @2<’D DEC@?8 7C:6?5=J 2C>D[ AC@E64E65 7C@> E96:C 7@6j”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96C6[ 2D H2D E96 4FDE@>[ E96J 4FE E96 3C:56’D =@?8 92:C H:E9 =@G6[k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp?5 9F?8 :ED D9:?:?8 3=24<?6DD @? E96 DAC625:?8 @2< 23@G6jk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm&?E@F4965[ F?5:DEFC365 :E 9F?8 E96C6[ 7@C 2== E96 H@C=5 E@ D66]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp?5 H:E9 E96 J62CD E96 =@4<D EFC?65 8C2J[ 2?5 DAC625 7C@> EC66 E@ EC66]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmk6>m$@>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6 42>6 7C@> k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^3C@>6=:25D]:?7@Qm3C@>6=:25D]:?7@k^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^8C62EDE@CJE6==6C]4@>Qm8C62EDE@CJE6==6C]4@>k^2m]k^6>mk^DA2?mk^Am
