Bloomipedia
Ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata)
Photo: Steve Taylor via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Ballmoss

Tillandsia recurvata

Native in the lower 48

Ballmoss is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in January–August.

6states
3of our state lists
24,921U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Florida, Louisiana, Texas

Quick look

Tillandsia recurvata, commonly known as small ballmoss or ball moss, is a flowering plant in the family Bromeliaceae that grows upon larger host plants. It grows well in areas with low light, little airflow, and high humidity, which is commonly provided by southern shade trees, often the southern live oak. It is not a parasite like mistletoe, but an epiphyte like its relative Spanish moss.

  • It belongs to the Bromeliaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Florida and Louisiana. NatureServe
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–September. iNaturalist
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–October. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 15,362 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #28 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 8,336 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #8 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 653 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #46 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist

Ballmoss gift ideas

Handmade ballmoss gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Ballmoss art print

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (144 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TexasNativeJanuary–September15,362
FloridaNativeJanuary–October8,336
LouisianaNativefew records653

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AZ (S2), GA (S1), NM (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records ballmoss in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas.

Texas counties with USDA records: Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Colorado, Comal, DeWitt, Edwards, Fayette, Fort Bend, Frio, Galveston, Gillespie, Gonzales, Grimes, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Irion, Jackson, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, Kleberg, Lavaca, Limestone, Live Oak, Llano, Madison, Mason, Matagorda, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Milam, Real, Refugio, Robertson, San Saba, Schleicher, Sutton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde, Walker, Waller, Washington, Wharton, Williamson, Wilson.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, Webster.

More Texas flowers

Cardinal airplant (Tillandsia fasciculata)

Cardinal airplant

Tillandsia fasciculata

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🌼 Blooms: January–May
Giant airplant (Tillandsia utriculata)

Giant airplant

Tillandsia utriculata

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🌼 Blooms: May–July
Pinkladies (Oenothera speciosa)

Pinkladies

Oenothera speciosa

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🌼 Blooms in TX: March–May

Sources