Mosses and how to create your own miniature rainforest

         
The word ‘moss’ comes from an old English word ‘mos’, meaning a boggy location. There are similar terms in Dutch and German. This reminds us that these plants – properly called ‘bryophytes’ – are associated primarily with wet places. Many mosses have prodigious ability to absorb water – rather like a sponge – which they can store in drier weather.

There are several hundred species of moss in Britain. Many have popular names that are not necessarily recognised scientifically but which describe aptly their appearance – ‘hair moss’, ‘feather moss’, ‘cushion moss’, ‘carpet moss’ and ‘scale moss’, being examples.
     
Mosses provide cover for other types of plant and animal and can be considered in many respects to be like forests in enhancing biodiversity.
   
Exact identification of mosses may involve the use of a microscope and this will not be discussed here. A hand-lens (x10 magnifying glass) can, however, be a great help. It will help decide as to which group of mosses a specimen belongs. At the same time a close-up view enables one to see in detail the beautiful structure of these plants.

One characteristic of most mosses is the presence on the tip of the long, unbranched stems, usually at certain times of the year, of "capsules", which contain spores.
     
The life cycle of mosses is complex. It includes a "protonema" stage where the moss resembles a thin layer of green growth, rather like felt. This can easily be mistaken for, and is sometimes mixed with with, green algae - referred to in the previous blog.

By far the most spectacular and varied species of moss are to be found in woodland – for example, in the Norfolk nature reserve shown below.
    Anyone interested in seeing and identifying different species of moss can do so easily in such a forested area. The mosses found can be observed and photographed where they live or small pieces can be removed for examination with a hand-lens.
    Immersing a piece of moss in water will help display the finer features of the moss. Many are complex in structure - and beautiful to observe.
 
Many mosses are characteristically found in certain habitats, dictated by such factors as the type of substrate, including its chemical structure and pH (acidity/alkalinity). The species known as “fire moss”, sometimes “bonfire-moss”, is correctly termed Funaria hygrometrica. It commonly colonises patches of disturbed, often bare, soil, especially where there has been a fire in the past.
 
A remarkable number of species of moss can be found in towns – in an urban car park, for example, as shown below.
     
Mosses often grow on roofs, where they are readily dislodged by rain, wind or birds. They may then fall to the ground where again they are often turned over by birds, looking for food.

Alternatively unwanted moss may be swept away by a householder or a conscientious neighbour. Under such circumstances the discarded pieces of moss can be collected for closer examination.

   
One way of studying and learning more about these fascinating plants, especially if you live in a flat, is to make a ‘moss garden’. First you need a suitable container. Two examples designed for cultivating plants are shown below. Used plastic items from the kitchen, such as an empty margarine container, are also suitable.
       
How do I get the moss for my “garden”? The easiest way is to collect pieces that fall off roofs (see earlier) or are dislodged naturally from walls. A clump of ‘cushion moss’ or another compact, robust, species is probably the best choice initially, but strands of the more aquatic species, such as Sphagnum, can also be used. Sometimes such strands of moss will grow. Once again, as discussed earlier, because the moss is in water, its structure and beauty are clear and they can be easily studied or photographed.

Specimens suitable for your moss garden can also be collected when garden lawns are being raked or if paths need to be cleared to facilitate access or to reduce the chances of people slipping (see above). Mosses should, however, only be deliberately ‘picked’ in this way if you are the owner of the property or have his/her permission to do so ("an authorised person"). The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 S13 (‘Protection of wild plants’) states that it is an offence if ‘any person… not being an authorised person, intentionally uproots any wild plant…". Mosses do not have roots as such, so it is not clear whether that legal restriction applies to them. It is probably best therefore to be cautious and take only moss that has already been dislodged as described above.

Your moss garden can be kept out-of-doors or brought inside. A moss garden outside will collect water naturally when it rains; at other times, it must be kept damp. A moss garden that is inside the house is best kept on a window ledge where there is plenty of light for the moss itself and to aid observation.

Check your moss garden each day. You will see changes as the green fronds grow. Stems bearing capsules may appear. The rate of growth and development of these structures will be greater indoors because of the higher temperature. Always make sure that your moss garden does not dry out!

If kept indoors, other plants, brought in with the moss, may appear. Animals can also sometimes be seen - some of these will be relatively large, such as worms and woodlice, others only tiny (use your magnifying glass to spot them).

Your moss garden is in many respects, a tiny ‘Amazon rain forest’. It is green and luxuriant, it produces oxygen because of photosynthesis, it holds, retains and liberates water, and it provides a secure home for other living things.

You do not necessarily need to keep your moss garden for a long period of time. 2-3 weeks may be sufficient. The contents can then be returned to the place from which they came – and you may like to start again with a new species.

In this blog we have not told you too much about actually identifying mosses. If you are interested in doing this, we recommend a book by our friend Dr June Chatfield “How to Begin the Study of Mosses and Liverworts”. This was published by the British Naturalists Association in 2008. See:

How To Begin The Study Of Mosses And Liverworts – British Naturalists' Association (bna-naturalists.org)

Publications – British Naturalists' Association (bna-naturalists.org)

If you become really keen consider joining The British Bryological Society:

British Bryological Society

Mosses can give us great pleasure during the apparently dull and drab winter months. They are a daily reminder, throughout the year, of how green the world is and of the inescapable fact that there is Nature all around us. Looking for and studying these plants can be stimulating and fun. Creating a moss garden can provide an opportunity for you to tend, observe, and enjoy these remarkable plants in your own home.