It sways in the trees and sighs in the wind. It imparts Gothic mystery and sultry romance. The image of Spanish moss draping from grand oak trees conjures up visions of the American South. From deep swamps and meandering bayous to grand antebellum homes and charming, historic cities, this beautiful, flowing greenery is part of the fabric of Southern art heritage.
Curtains of Cultural History
From Savannah to New Orleans, Spanish moss graces trees and has influenced everything from folk art and furnishings to creative art and literature. The first Southerners put down roots and became enchanted by the curtains hanging in the trees. They discovered that this tangled plant had no roots of its own and was as useful as it was beautiful. They painted it, and using long poles, they pulled it from the branches and used it to insulate their homes, fortify their plaster and soften their mattresses. The seat cushions of the first Model T Fords were stuffed with their dried harvest. By the 1930s, the moss was ginned and tightly woven into the region's economic fabric.
A Natural Work of Art
Spanish moss is a beguiling part of the Southern landscape and is a beloved natural treasure. Countless songbirds build nests in its shelter and make it their permanent home. It's not a true moss but instead is an air-root plant that thrives in live oaks and bald cypress. Spanish moss doesn't sustain its life from the trees. Instead, the trees support the moss and its unique, above-ground ecosystem. Magnolia trees are considered the grand ladies of the South, but the elegant, flowering veils that the oak trees wear are the true Southern belles, slipping among the branches and whispering tales with a Southern accent. It's little wonder that the finest voodoo dolls in New Orleans are the ones crafted from Spanish moss.
Setting a Southern Scene
By the time Tennessee Williams began to write, there were still mattresses in Southern homes that slept cooler through the long, hot summers with their moss stuffings. It's impossible to enjoy his work and not imagine the Spanish moss background that lingers in his style. Scarlet would not have been as enticing had she not been framed by the massive oaks of Tara with their majestic curtains. Strolling the streets of Savannah is a walk back in time under the billowing shade of soft, Spanish moss. Whether lounging at hotels near Midtown Savannah or reading “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” your imagination will be full of the sigh of Southern secrets that only the moss can tell.
On a warm, lazy day, the inviting shade beneath a tree draped in Spanish moss is a perfect respite from the Southern heat. Imagine a bayou canoe drifting under a canopy of cypress. Listen to the tones of smooth, easy jazz filtering through the live oaks and filling historic streets. Savor the aroma of gumbo and jambalaya in the air and the charm of an accent that's always familiar. The Southern stage is set and waiting to be enjoyed through an ever-shifting curtain of Spanish moss art.
Ann Bailey is an artist and native of the deep south and has long enjoyed painting the mystical moss. She contributes articles for hotels near Midtown Savannah like the Marriott Fairfield Inn, which entice tourists and locals alike to stop and observe and appreciate the unusual floating beauty hanging from the trees, defining the essence of the deep south.
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| Photo Credit: Painting of Forsyth Park, Savannah oil by Ann Marshall Bailey. |
From Savannah to New Orleans, Spanish moss graces trees and has influenced everything from folk art and furnishings to creative art and literature. The first Southerners put down roots and became enchanted by the curtains hanging in the trees. They discovered that this tangled plant had no roots of its own and was as useful as it was beautiful. They painted it, and using long poles, they pulled it from the branches and used it to insulate their homes, fortify their plaster and soften their mattresses. The seat cushions of the first Model T Fords were stuffed with their dried harvest. By the 1930s, the moss was ginned and tightly woven into the region's economic fabric.
A Natural Work of Art
Spanish moss is a beguiling part of the Southern landscape and is a beloved natural treasure. Countless songbirds build nests in its shelter and make it their permanent home. It's not a true moss but instead is an air-root plant that thrives in live oaks and bald cypress. Spanish moss doesn't sustain its life from the trees. Instead, the trees support the moss and its unique, above-ground ecosystem. Magnolia trees are considered the grand ladies of the South, but the elegant, flowering veils that the oak trees wear are the true Southern belles, slipping among the branches and whispering tales with a Southern accent. It's little wonder that the finest voodoo dolls in New Orleans are the ones crafted from Spanish moss.
Setting a Southern Scene
By the time Tennessee Williams began to write, there were still mattresses in Southern homes that slept cooler through the long, hot summers with their moss stuffings. It's impossible to enjoy his work and not imagine the Spanish moss background that lingers in his style. Scarlet would not have been as enticing had she not been framed by the massive oaks of Tara with their majestic curtains. Strolling the streets of Savannah is a walk back in time under the billowing shade of soft, Spanish moss. Whether lounging at hotels near Midtown Savannah or reading “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” your imagination will be full of the sigh of Southern secrets that only the moss can tell.
On a warm, lazy day, the inviting shade beneath a tree draped in Spanish moss is a perfect respite from the Southern heat. Imagine a bayou canoe drifting under a canopy of cypress. Listen to the tones of smooth, easy jazz filtering through the live oaks and filling historic streets. Savor the aroma of gumbo and jambalaya in the air and the charm of an accent that's always familiar. The Southern stage is set and waiting to be enjoyed through an ever-shifting curtain of Spanish moss art.
Ann Bailey is an artist and native of the deep south and has long enjoyed painting the mystical moss. She contributes articles for hotels near Midtown Savannah like the Marriott Fairfield Inn, which entice tourists and locals alike to stop and observe and appreciate the unusual floating beauty hanging from the trees, defining the essence of the deep south.
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