The are a few types of plants which can be found just about anywhere on earth. Some are grasses others are very successful annuals which have short life cycles and survive even in hostile climate even if it is for a short while. Others are extremely ancient and where some of the first types of recognizable plants that are known such as ferns. The plants I am referring to today are also among the oldest and simplest known to us. We see them in the woods, on rocks, along roadsides, in our lawns and on roofs. I am referring to a group of plants called Moss of which there are thousands of species and many variations. They all look beautiful at this time of year here in the Pacific Northwest.
Mosses are part of a group of plants called bryophytes which also include Lichens and Hornworts. These plants are generally tiny in stature and lack vascular systems. Mosses are made up of a single layer of cells which are usually arranged in overlapping leaves or scales and are generally a shade of green. Because Moss lacks a vascular system it has to live in an area which is damp most of the time. Without water it would not be able to sexually reproduce.
Mosses are one of the first plants that were likely used by people from the very earliest times. Moss has been used in many ways all over the world. From the earliest times it has been used for padding for wounds, natural diapers and other padding. It has been used to stuff mattresses, pillows and fill cracks in walls. Mosses used to heal burns and bruises has been successfully done for centuries. Some forms of moss have been powdered and turned into extracts which anti-septic and antiviral properties. Tonics an diuretics have been used for ages.
The most important group of mosses are the Sphagnum which are used for many economic products and processes. In horticulture and gardening sphagnum produces the peat which we incorporate into soil mixes because it helps to improve moisture retention(it has the ability to absorb 12 times its weight in moisture). Peat is found in areas where the moss has for many centuries grown and partly decomposed creating deep layers of pure product. It is found in northern areas of the globe. In the past it has been cut, dried and burned as fuel to warm homes. Now we also use it for filtering and treatment of waste waters, effluent detergents, dyes and other organic substances.
Many moss species are good indicators of soil conditions as the will survive in narrow pH conditions. They also can indicate environmental condition such as levels of pollution. Moss create a covering to slow down erosion of nutrients by protecting underlying surfaces from excessive water run-off. It also provides protection from winds in the same way.
here in Victoria there are many rocky outcrops covered with moss. Within these areas are miniature ecosystems often populated with several forms of moss and lichens which are slowly breaking down the rocks. The mosses do this by releasing acids which work on the rock over milleniums. Crevices develop where soil is created and other plants can come in and grow.
We take the lowly Moss for a pest, but it really is an important part of the ecology of the earth. We should be more tolerant of its existence and learn to see it as a feature in our gardens as a simple groundcover which it is. In Japan Moss plays an important role in gardens and is featured in many well known ones.
Bryophyte files for you:
Facinating website about the mosses and Lichens of Stanley Park in Vancouver: http://www.botany.ubc.ca/bryophyte/stanleypark/basics.htm
A page on the mosses of Pacific Spirit Park: http://www.pacificspiritparksociety.org/About_PSRP/Mosses.html
Living with Mosses: http://bryophytes.science.oregonstate.edu/mosses.htm
…………..Hope to see you here again soon…………….
Nice posting Jen, love the Pixie Lichen too. I like moss, find it most interesting to look at closely. Great info as always.
Wonderful post! I love moss. My family had property in Metchosin when I was growing up and moss lined the bluffs of “the back 40”. Ok, we only had an acre, but it was wonderful and green and mossy nonetheless. My mom would always get after us and the dogs for peeling the moss of the rocks.
BTW: Does it really take 7 years for moss to grow on rocks? That was the guilt trip played by my mother, and I want to know if its true. 🙂
I don’t know about how long it takes moss to grow, it would depend on the type and location. I think it grows here much faster than other areas which have cold freezing winters and dry, drought like summers.
Fantastic post. Too often I heard people on the west coast lamenting the moss in their yards and on their roofs. I’ve always loved the texture of it. There’s so much fine detail in these plants.
The texture of the moss is always delightful to watch. This kind of gardening is probably more seen in the western side. Moss grows perfectly in summers but it is always a headache to maintain it during winters. Moss usually grows in the same time as compared to other plants.
i love this story i wish you can make a another one about moss.
i hate it!
[…] often grows in damp and shady places: it does not cause any harm and can be tolerated! About moss: http://bit.ly/yRm3V5TwitterFacebook […]
“From the earliest times it has been used for padding for wounds, natural diapers and other padding. It has been used to stuff mattresses, pillows and fill cracks in walls. Mosses used to heal burns and bruises has been successfully done for centuries.” Excellent! I’d like to reference this in a blog post I’m writing about the uses of moss throughout history.
Is that OK? I’ll put a link to this page for furthering reading, as it’s a valuable resource for my readers and very relevant for the piece I’m writing.