M OSS G ARDENS
IN THE M IDWEST
DISCOVERING MOSSES – DIGGING DEEPER
There are approximately 10,000 types of mosses which share their own plant division Bryophyte
with the liverworts and hornworts. The bryophytes reproduce without flowers or seeds –
spreading by spores and by fragmentation. Their reproductive life cycle is fascinating and is one
of the reasons why moss aficionados are so hooked on their obsession. More detailed
information can be found in the websites listed below, but the one thing to stress is that
adequate moisture is key to the moss reproductive cycle as well as photosynthesis.
Another intriguing aspect of mosses is that they do not have roots like vascular plants.
Bryophytes use photosynthesis to make their own food from water and carbon dioxide but they
do not have vascular tissue - no xylem or phloem - remember your high school botany? They do
attach to their chosen substrate with filament-like rhizoids but these are unable to transport water
or nutrients like roots. Mosses absorb all water and nutrients through their leaf surfaces which
have no cuticle (waxy coating) and are usually only one cell layer thick. As Mossin’Annie of
Mountain Moss says, “They eat dust and drink rainwater!”
When the plant matter dies, it forms the perfect nursery for new moss spores. The leaves also
contain compounds that deter herbivores and act as anti-freeze. They go dormant when
conditions are not optimal and return, nonchalant and verdant, with the first rainfall.
BECOMING A FERVENT DEVOTEE OF MOSS
Bryophytes are very old, appearing 450 million years ago, 50 million years before the first
vascular plants – most notably their spore-bearing relatives, the ferns. Mosses are true survivors,
able to withstand drought and other extreme conditions and, with a return of moisture, reproduce
and spread. They add a lush aspect to the woodland, and, when added to a garden, give a tactile
aspect to the landscape that invites you to get a little closer. Just hiking in the Smokies or
looking at photos of the moss gardens in Japan (http://www.phototravels.net/kyoto/zen-gardenssaiho-ji.html) will kindle a desire for that luminescent, soothing green.
Unfortunately, here in Missouri we don’t have the mesic environment of the Pacific Northwest,
the North Carolina Piedmont, the Smokies or northern New England with their year-round
humidity and moisture so critical for moss reproduction. It is possible, with great dedication, to
create pockets of moss lawn or to underplant trees, shrubs and perennials in a shady area if you
are willing to provide the consistent extra moisture needed when our hot, dry summer sets in
sending mosses to dormancy. In order to establish any moss garden you must commit upfront to
some nurturing and so we recommend that you start small. The mosses themselves will then
help create the micro-climate necessary for expansion. As landscaper George Schenk wrote,
“Mosses invited themselves into the gardens of Japan and thereby invented moss gardening”
(Moss Gardening, Timber Press, 1997).
MOSS GARDENS: MIDWEST MICROCLIMATES
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Anecdotal observation in your own garden space will show you that mosses will grow where
vascular plants (such as turf grass) do not thrive. When the soil is compacted, acidic, or filled
with surface roots, there is a lack of competition and mosses appear and slowly expand.
It’s hard even for fervent devotees to identify mosses without a magnifying glass (or sometimes
a microscope!) and as beginners probably our best method is merely to observe the quality of
light and moisture in our garden space and select mosses, wild-crafted or purchased, which will
match those conditions. Resources listed below will also be useful if you wish to identify more
specifically the mosses you find in your backyard or in the woods. Although there are types of
mosses which grow in full sun and others which prefer to dry out, the dormant mosses we offer
at Bowood Farms are from the hillsides of shady, moist, Pokono mountains.
There are many plants which also love this type of environment and we recommend
interplanting mosses in new and established shade gardens as a way of conserving water by
sharing resources. Mosses will provide a living mulch, and in this way the plants will support
each other to create a micro-climate. They are useful to soften and naturalize garden sculptures,
fountains and other water features. Mosses also highlight plant focal points by delineating root
and trunk structures.
M OSS C OMPANIONS
I N T HE S HADE G ARDEN
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
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• Gather your moss simply by lifting it up or using a spatula or putty knife to separate it from its
substrate. Purchased mosses need to be moistened to release them from dormancy.
• Remove all plants and debris from your chosen area, level it out and moisten lightly.
• Press the moss firmly down into its new location. Stepping on mosses will not harm them.
• Generally speaking, horizontal, carpet type mosses (Pleurocarps) grow faster and regenerate more
quickly than upright, cushion type mosses (Acrocarps). Interplanting mosses closely is beneficial
because the two types will support each other. Likewise, planting closely rather than spreading out
across an area will promote colonization.
• Mist or lightly sprinkle for the first 3-5 weeks to keep the leaves moist without drenching the soil.
• Pull any opportunistic seedlings to prevent competition and keep moss surface free of debris.
CONTAINING YOUR EXCITEMENT
Mosses are first-choice for underplanting bonsai but they may also be used alone in planters and
troughs to decorate a shady corner of a patio. Containers are also great within the shade garden to
bring mosses up close and personal! They may be made of any material except galvanized or zincplated metal, copper, or pressure-treated wood. Place a layer of gravel at the bottom to ensure good
drainage. Planting is a snap – use moisture retentive potting mix (or add Soil-Moist) as a substrate and
follow the directions for planting in the garden. When combining with other plants, their size will
dictate the depth of your container, but used solo, the mosses do not need a lot of soil – no roots! They
are just right for those wide, shallow containers that cause difficulties for other plantings. If you are
wild-crafting mosses you might also collect lichen- or moss-covered twigs, baby ferns and pine
seedlings for your containers and make a mini-landscape. Plants may be returned to the wild after the
growing season is over or transplanted into the garden. Or try underplanting Japanese maples, miniconifers, or other miniature plants with moss and winter over as you would bonsai selections.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SHADE GARDEN
Ferns to Combine with Mosses:
These spore-producing companions have a longstanding relationship with mosses!
Adiantum pedatum
Cyrtomium falcatum
Onoclea sensibilis
Asplenium x ebenoides
Dryopteris spp
Osmunda spp
Athyrium spp
Polystichum spp
Shade Perennials to Combine with Mosses:
They will gladly snuggle up to these well-behaved vascular plants…
Actaea
Gaultheria
Kirengeshoma
Astilbe
Hakonechloa
Phlox divaricata
Cimicifuga
Helleborus
Polygonatum
Dicentra
Heuchera
Tiarella
Epimedium
Heucherella
Tricyrtis
Galium
Mini-Hosta
Viola
Trees and Shrubs to Underplant with Mosses:
Some of these are shade producers, others will happily join in the understory shade.
Acer palmatum
Fothergilla
Magnolia
Buxus ‘Green Tower’
Hamamelis
Pieris japonica
Chamaecyparis
Ilex ‘Scallywag’
Picea
Cornus
Juniperus
Pinus
Daphne
Kalmia
Rhododendron/Azalea
SOURCES/FOR MORE INFORMATION:
David and Al Benner run Moss Acres, in Pennsylvania’s Pocono mountains, source of our LIVE
MOSS. Their website is educational and inspiring: http://www.mossacres.com/info.asp
Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, is the home of Mossin’ Annie (Annie Martin) whose website is another
informative source, especially under Learn More: http://mountainmoss.com/
Raleigh, North Carolina has David Spain, known for his unconventional projects using moss, some of
which he sells at: http://www.mossandstonegardens.com/index.php. His blog is also helpful and full of
ideas and great photos: http://www.mossandstonegardens.com/blog/
The Pacific Northwest is another prime spots for mosses and this site from Oregon State University is
very thorough: http://bryophytes.science.oregonstate.edu/mosses.htm
Schenk, George. Moss Gardening. Timber Press, 1997