Spanish Moss along the trail at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA). The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences reports that Spanish Moss is not a moss but a bromeliad. An epiphyte that grows on others plants without relying on them for nutrients, rather taking their moisture and other nutrients from the air and detritus that comes near it. And contrary to popular belief, Spanish Moss is harmless to the plant it is growing on.