Make Topiary Using Spanish Moss?

Q: I want to re-purpose some old Christmas lawn decorations as topiaries. I removed all the lights and broken motors, staked them to the ground, and stuffed them with Spanish moss, which is easy to get from my trees. What type of vine could I plant to engulf the forms, so they remain green throughout the year?

A: Did you stuff them with sphagnum moss or Spanish moss? There’s a big difference. How tightly was the filling put into the form? Your moss looks likely to dry out quickly. I’m not sure if Spanish moss could ever work.

Long fiber sphagnum moss is typically used for topiaries. It’s packed so tight you can barely press a finger into it. The moss holds enough water to keep plants healthy.

The most common evergreen topiary plant is creeping fig. Plants are installed in a filled topiary form by using a short metal rod to make a hole in the moss large enough for the root system to be inserted.