# ballmoss (*Tillandsia recurvata*) Ballmoss is a tiny plant that loves to grow on trees and rocks. It looks like a little green ball and doesn't need soil to live. Instead, it gets water and nutrients from the air and rain! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Forests, Urban areas, Desert ![ballmoss](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tillandsia_recurvata.jpg&width=800) Photo: Kohlnf, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tillandsia_recurvata.jpg) ## Appearance The ballmoss is a fuzzy, grey-green plant forming round, tangled clumps. Its thin, curly leaves give it a moss-like appearance, but it's an 'air plant.' Tiny, inconspicuous pale green or blue flowers may appear among its foliage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Poales - **Family:** Bromeliaceae - **Genus:** Tillandsia ## Interesting facts - Ballmoss can turn a bit reddish when it's very dry or getting lots of sun! - Ballmoss is an 'air plant' that doesn't need soil to grow! - It often grows on power lines, looking like fuzzy green ornaments! - Tiny insects and even spiders can live hidden inside ballmoss clumps! ## Special abilities - **Air Drinker:** Ballmoss can absorb water and nutrients directly from the air using special scales on its leaves. - **Gentle Grip:** Ballmoss has tiny holdfasts that allow it to cling to surfaces without harming its host tree. - **Wind Wanderer:** Ballmoss produces light, fluffy seeds that are easily carried by the wind to new locations. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-30 cm - **Spread:** 5-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to Fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Live Oak (*Quercus virginiana*) — Needs trees like this for support and height. - **Shelter:** Bold Jumper (*Phidippus audax*) — Small jumping spiders often hide within its clumps. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Tiny flowers attract bees for nectar and pollen. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nonvascular](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nonvascular): This trait characterizes plants lacking specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Ballmoss is safe to touch, but be gentle when exploring plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify ballmoss? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is ballmoss? 5-30 cm ### How wide does ballmoss spread? 5-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on ballmoss? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does ballmoss bloom? Spring to Fall ### Is ballmoss edible? No ### Is ballmoss toxic? None ### What is ballmoss's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [San Antonio Missions National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-antonio-missions-national-historical-park) — Texas, US · National Park - [Alamo Plaza Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alamo-plaza-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Fort Sam Houston](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-sam-houston) — Texas, US · Historic Site - [Gruene](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gruene) — Texas, US · Historic District - [King Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/king-ranch) — Texas, US · Historic Site - [La Villita](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/la-villita) — Texas, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see ballmoss](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/ballmoss) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Ballmoss: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ballmoss)