Can you post a photo of these air plants so we can identify what they actually are. There are many native plants like that but they aren't parasites and they don't kill the trees they live on. They also don't spot stressed trees to go hang out on.

Can you give an example of what one of the trees are and what specifically is happening to cause you to think they are dying.

A cell phone picture will do. You can upload it to imageshack.us or villagephotos.com without having to register.

Sounds like a Tillandsia sp.

To iforgotitsonevermind's Journal, As I mentioned, this air plant is an infestation in my area of SW Florida. It's not in just one of my trees, it's on my magnolia, bald cypress, oak, bottle brush, golden rain, orange, grapefruit, etc. It's also in our shopping centers, hospital grounds, restaurant bushes and trees, etc. Many branches of my trees have no leaves left on them and the branch is dead but the air plant that has killed it, is still on the branch. The branches that are living does not have the air plants but many of them have very small air plants starting. Sorry, I haven't been able yet to send a picture. I will try though. Thanks for any help you can give me. Leenie

contact your local Ag office for direction

if, as you say.. its all over... get some local help

google your county/state and dept of Agriculture.. for the closest office

ken

I agree it sounds like a call to your agricultural extention could get to the bottom of this but I'm curious to know what you find out but often times plants decide to live where the conditions are just right. Could it be they are showing up on dead or dormant branches, perhaps because there is more sunlight?

Tillandsia spp. also grow on utility wires and even cacti in suitable climates. Most form rosettes as described, an exception abundant in parts of southeast US is the one called Spanish moss.

Hello bboy' I also have spanish moss but that is not hurting my trees. The one that I have described is. And, no, the branches are nice and healthy and not dying until a small one of these airplants starts to grow on it. They are very tiny when I first see them but by the time they have killed the branch, they have gotten quite large. I pull all of those that I can reach off but I can't reach those that are way up in my tall trees.
Thank you for trying to help me.
Leenie

Are you possibly talking about Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum)? They can be damaging to the trees they grow in. I don't know of a good control measure for them, because here in Kansas they never seem to grow too thickly on any one tree, so don't look to be a problem.

Lots of images from Vanderbilt

Florida website with lots of images and info

Hello kman04,
No, I do know what mistletoe looks like and this is not mistletoe. Thank you though, for trying to help me.
Leenie

I really don't understand how these plants can "kill" a branch, or a tree. If it's tillandsia, I thought they just use the branch as an anchor, and don't have any mechanism to kill the host plant. Am I wrong?
Reminds me of the time I was so happy to get a bunch of spanish moss to grow here in Z6 Michigan. Didn't really take off under the most humid part of Summer (which usually lasts a whole month or two). I was bragging to a friend of mine from Florida that it only cost me $3 for the bunch. She said, "For $3, I can send you all you want. How many tons do you need?"

So, Monday's just about over. What did we find out from our agricultural extensions today?

The Tillandsia do not kill branches. This applies to both ball moss and spanish moss (both Tillandsia spp.). Rather, they proliferate on branches that are dying from other causes, taking advantage of increased sunlight. I have the same thing happening on branches of laurel oaks dying from honey mushroom (Armillaria)....Tree care companies sometimes like to claim otherwise, to charge money to remove them. They are simply epiphytes -and only use the branches as support. Mistletoe does parasitize branches - but it is uncommon in SW Florida.

By the way, I am the state-wide forest health extension specialist for the state of Florida. I still recommend that you contact the Lee County agent. they might be able to visit the site and confirm my diagnosis.

Yeah it looks like pictures are the only way we can help you, because "air plant" isn't doing it for us. Are we 100% that it is an epiphyte?

I did further research...

What about Southern Needleleaf or BartramÂs airplant?

Here is a link about some of Florida's Native airplants. Most if not all seem to be beneficial and not harmful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Native Epiphytes of Florida