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growing & crawling: haircap moss

Growing & Crawling

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Haircap Moss: The shag rug of plants

When February begins and we are in the deepest depths of winter, it is sometimes easy to forget that out, in that bitter cold, there are still plants, doing their thing despite the dark and icy environment. One of the smallest of these plants is Haircap Moss.

In the past mosses were mostly overlooked and walked all over but they, along with fungus and lichen, have been experiencing a surge in popularity, both online and irl. That's why it is a great time to shine a light on Haircap Moss. In the Polytrichaceae family, this perennial evergreen moss is found on every continent in the world, including Antarctica, and grows in abundance in our area. It can be found on stone walls, brick walks, old logs, and straight on the ground. Where conditions are moist enough, this shaggy moss is there, keeping things carpeted.

Haircap moss is one of the few mosses that can thrive in full sun, as long as the ground maintains a high level of moisture. While most mosses are nonvascular, meaning they don't have a xylem and phloem to carry water throughout the plant, Haircap Moss is shown to have water conducting tissues and pulls it's moisture strictly from the ground up.

In late summer you will recognize this moss by it's long (1-1.5") perichaetium, or stalk-like growths that show a beautiful red base.

By janet douberly

Janet Douberly is Program Coordinator at Downtown Greens. learn more about things growing & crawling in Fxbg, check out our Facebook & Instagram.

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