Grow cypress-leaved plait-moss in shade or light sun, on firm soil, rock, or a log. Hypnum is also sold as carpet moss. A living sheet is not the dyed craft bag labeled sheet moss.
Keep it in shade, and let it dry a little between rains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Shade or light sun, as under trees or on a north or east wall | Do not set a thin sheet in hot afternoon sun |
| Moisture | Keep it damp the first weeks, then let it dry a little between rains | Do not leave standing water on the sheet |
| Surface | Press it onto firm soil, rock, a log, or bark | Do not bury the stems in loose potting mix |
| Dry spells | A dull brown sheet often greens again after rain | Do not toss a brown sheet the first time it dries |
| Feed | Leave it unfed | Do not use lawn fertilizer on the sheet |
| Winter | Leave it outdoors; it stays green in the cold | Do not lift it into a dry, heated room |
cypress-leaved plait-moss wants shade or light sun and a firm surface it can cling to. Overlapping leaves lie flat like tiny cypress sprays, and the shoots cover tree trunks, decaying wood, rock, and shaded ground. [1] A thin sheet in hot afternoon sun cooks. Standing water rots the stems, so after the first weeks let the surface dry a little between rains instead of keeping a puddle on it. [2] Lawn fertilizer is not part of this job. In winter the sheet often stays green, so leave it where it is unless the surface itself is being moved.
How to grow cypress-leaved plait-moss?
Keep it in shade or light sun. Press a living sheet onto firm soil, rock, or a log, and keep it damp until it holds. Then let it dry a little between rains. Do not bury the stems, and do not sit them in a puddle.
Does it need full shade?
Shade or light sun is enough. A north or east wall, a log, or ground under trees works. Hot afternoon sun on a thin sheet is the usual problem, not a lack of fertilizer.
Press a living sheet onto firm soil, rock, or a log
Shop mats arrive as a living sheet, not as a rooted pot. Clear leaves and weeds so the surface is bare, then firm the soil. Do not loosen it like a flower bed. Wet the surface and the underside of the sheet, then press until there is no air under the stems. Tiny rhizoids hold it; they are not true roots. [3] On a slope, a few small sticks keep the patch from sliding. Buy a nursery sheet. Do not strip moss from a park, a state forest, or a wild woods. If the sheet arrived dry, soak it about twenty minutes and squeeze out the extra water before you press it on. [4]
- Clear leaves, weeds, and loose litter so the rock, log, or soil is bare.
- Firm the soil. Wet the surface and the underside of the sheet.
- Press the sheet down until there is no air under it. On a slope, pin it with small sticks.
- Mist often enough to keep the sheet damp for the first three weeks. Do not leave standing water on it.
- In a dish or open terrarium, press it onto rock or bark the same way, and mist. Do not sit the sheet in a puddle.
- Lift fallen leaves off the sheet as they drop. Bag extras. Do not scrape living moss from a park or a wild log.
How do I plant cypress-leaved plait-moss?
Clear a bare surface, firm the soil, wet the underside of a living sheet, and press it on. Keep it damp for the first weeks. Do not bury the stems in loose mix.
Tear the sheet into pieces and press those too
Most gardeners start a second patch from a piece of the sheet, not from spores. Tear a healthy piece that still has green stems, press it onto a damp surface, and treat it the same way as the first sheet. You can space small pieces in a checkerboard and let them knit. Scissors can tidy a ragged edge after it holds.
- Tear or cut a healthy piece with green stems still attached.
- Press it onto damp rock, a log, or firm soil the same way as the first sheet.
- Keep that piece damp until it holds, then lift leaves off both patches.
How do I get more plants?
Tear a healthy piece off the sheet and press it onto a damp surface. Spores are slow. Do not strip a wild log to fill a gap.
Not Irish moss — and not a craft bag or sphagnum
Irish moss is a flowering plant, Sagina, sold for sun and pavers. It is not this sheet, and it wants a different site. The dyed craft bag labeled sheet moss is often preserved and will not green up, no matter how long you soak it. Sphagnum is the peat moss in a bag, not this overlapping carpet. Seductive entodon moss is a rounder, shinier cousin — see How to Grow Seductive Entodon Moss. Spike moss is Selaginella, a different plant — see How to Grow Spike Moss. Moss rose is Portulaca, a sun annual — see How to Grow Moss Rose. Spanish moss is Tillandsia, not a moss at all — see How to Grow Air Plants. Some US nurseries sell Hypnum imponens as sheet moss. That is a close relative with the same shade and mist. This plant is Hypnum cupressiforme. Read the Latin name on the tag.
Is this Irish moss?
No. Irish moss is Sagina, a flowering plant sold for sun and pavers. Cypress-leaved plait-moss is a true moss with overlapping leaves for shade or light sun.
Will a craft bag of sheet moss grow?
Usually no. A dyed or preserved craft bag is no longer alive. Buy a living nursery sheet labeled Hypnum, and read the Latin name.
Keep cypress-leaved plait-moss in shade or light sun, press a living nursery sheet onto rock or a log, and mist until it holds.
FAQ
Does a buttermilk slurry work?
It is hit or miss. Pressing a living sheet onto a damp surface is the shop method. A blender mix is not a shortcut that replaces a pressed sheet.
Can I grow it from spores?
You can, but most gardeners press a piece of the sheet. Capsules on stalks drop spores in season, and that is slow. The new plants still want shade or light sun and a firm surface.
Is the sheet moss at the craft store this plant?
Often no. Craft bags are frequently preserved or dyed, and they will not grow. A living Hypnum sheet from a nursery is the plant to grow.
Is US sheet moss the same as this moss?
Some nurseries sell Hypnum imponens as sheet moss. It wants the same shade and mist. This plant is Hypnum cupressiforme. Read the Latin name.
Can I scrape it off a wild log?
Do not strip moss from a park, a state forest, or a wild woods. Buy a nursery sheet, or take only a small piece from moss already growing on your own ground.
Can I grow it in a closed jar?
An open dish or a terrarium you can air out is safer. A sealed jar that stays wet grows mold on the sheet. Press it onto rock or bark, mist, and let extra water drain.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] British Bryological Society -
https://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/learning/species-finder/hypnum-cupressiforme/ - [2] Moss Acres -
https://mossacres.com/pages/technical-questions - [3] Fine Gardening -
https://www.finegardening.com/article/tips-for-creating-a-moss-garden - [4] Terrarium Tribe -
https://terrariumtribe.com/terrarium-plants/hypnum-cupressiforme-sheet-moss/
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors