Desert Sky Islands and Agave gentryi
Added 2022-04-28 04:26:12 +0000 UTC
Comments
I'm pretty sure it's mostly commensal with host trees; its growth habit (hanging down) also seems to keep it from doing most of the behaviors I would suspect a tree-killer of doing, like constricting the trunk. I think it also tends to grow pretty slowly, and doesn't seem to spread as quickly as the branches of the host, so it would be less likely to outcompete the host for access to sunlight. _I really don't know_, but I wanted to offer some ideas for how to direct thinking about the question. There could easily be tree-killing compounds it secretes, but I can't currently imagine an evolutionary incentive for that type of behavior since the plants seem to be benefitting from hanging out on the host's branches.
Tyrannus epauletus
2022-04-28 15:46:59 +0000 UTCDoes Spanish Moss eventually kill the tree it's covering?
April Hughes
2022-04-28 06:02:30 +0000 UTC
