Called “beautiful woods” by the Spanish, Bosque Bello is located off North 14th Street in Fernandina, toward Amelia Island’s northwest, close to “Old Town.” Here in the Amelia Island area, oak trees draped in Spanish moss are a distinguishing characteristic of the local landscape. To most people not living here, “Florida” connotes coconut palm trees — not these ancient oaks with “beards.” The name, “Spanish moss,” is thought to have originated from its resemblance to the Spaniard explorers’ beards. Legend has it that the Indians called it “tree hair.” It’s not a true moss, but rather an epiphyte (or air plant). Visually, it adds interest, and drapes the local landscape with a distinctly southern charm.
