Lesson From a Pineapple Wanna Be

I’ve always had a strange fascination with the lowly, underappreciated ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata.) This weird little member of the pineapple (bromeliad) family is a native species occurring in the Southern US that gets a bad rap. Most people only see it as a nuisance hanging around in unhealthy trees (or unhealthy parts of trees) and blame it for the death or near death of such.

I spent time recently examining a dislodged little one that had fallen from a tree outside my door (yes, too much time on my hands.) But I’ve always appreciated it, whether it is because of its cool botanic name (T. recurvata), its lowly relation to the much more revered Spanish moss (people seem to LOVE Tillandsia usneoides) or because it just IS in its lifestyle….never making a fuss or muss, just being and doing its thing.

Tenacity and resilience? This little guy is the king/queen. It spreads its minuscule seeds through wind and water attaching to new home bases pretty much without notice. It makes its own food, collects its own water from the air and lives in stoic, trooper form not caring whether it is loved or hated.

Like all of its brethren in nature, this misunderstood member of the plant kingdom carries on every day doing its thing, living its life as it was meant to be. No angst, no judgement, no suffering. I should be so lucky.