We just moved to Jacksonville from up north and I want to know if Spanish moss is harming my oak trees. There is also some kind of gray-green moss growing on the trunks. Let’s talk about Spanish moss ...

Understanding the Context

Now that deciduous trees are bare, trunks and branches have taken center stage, and you might be noticing nuances and irregularities that evaded your attention over the summer. For instance, what are ... San Antonio Express-News: Ball moss, lichen and mistletoe: Which ones will damage your trees in Texas and which are safe Ball moss, lichen and mistletoe: Which ones will damage your trees in Texas and which are safe A tree's age can be easily determined by counting its growth rings, as any Boy or Girl Scout knows. Annually, the tree adds new layers of wood which thicken during the growing season and thin during the winter.

Key Insights

These annual growth rings are easily discernible (and countable) in cross-sections of the tree's trunk. In good growing years, when sunlight and rainfall are plentiful, the growth rings ... Stan Boutin has climbed more than 5,000 spruce trees in the last 30 years. He has often returned to the forest floor knowing if a ball of twigs and moss within the tree contained newborn red squirrel pups. Over the years, those squirrels have taught Boutin and his colleagues many things, including an apparent ability to predict the future.

Final Thoughts

Seattle Times: What’s that growing on my tree? Everything you need to know about lichens, moss and algae What’s that growing on my tree? Everything you need to know about lichens, moss and algae