Take a walk on the wild side through your landscape to discover some of the unusual growths among the fine greenery. Most are not harmful, but they might not be what we are used to seeing, and they might be mistaken for pests.

Probably the plant that’s the scariest is the ball moss, a Spanish moss relative. You most likely see this one clinging to the limbs of trees and shrubs. It appears to be taking over the plants. The truth is it’s only looking for a place to grow as it takes all it needs for subsistence from the air — both water and nutrients. To prove this, you also often see it on fences and electric lines too.

Another group of wild things is lichens. These cling to stems and the trunks of trees. They Lichens_1 can be gray, green or red as noted on the trunk of the tree on the left. Lichens are a combination of a fungus and an alga. They are living together symbiotically benefiting each other. They cause no harm to your plants.

Now any plant could have ball moss or lichens clinging to the trunks and limbs. But plants that are not growing as vigorously as they should be are often the favorite spots for these growths. These plants often have only have a few leaves and might have some rotting stems. It’s an ideal spot for the moss and lichens to grow with good exposure to light and nutrients. Again, they do not need the plant to exist, but it’s a good place to live.

So, if you have a plant that is loaded with either moss or lichens, you might need to check its overall vigor. Make sure it has the needed moisture and nutrients for growth. If a tree is covered with the growths, you might need to have it checked for root or trunk problems. Healthy, vigorous plants usually provide too much shade for good moss or lichen growth.

When needed, ball moss can be removed, but the lichens are usually left to grow. Most gardeners are able to just ignore these wild things.

source : orlandosentinel.com