{"id":3653,"date":"2015-02-10T10:05:35","date_gmt":"2015-02-10T18:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogadmin.plantlust.com\/blog\/?p=3653"},"modified":"2024-01-24T06:53:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T14:53:19","slug":"a-few-good-moss-imposters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantlust.com\/blog\/plants\/a-few-good-moss-imposters\/","title":{"rendered":"A few good moss imposters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tell me I’m not alone. Now that it’s all moist and mossy out there, I frequently see moss that stops me in my tracks. There are just so many strange-good variations. I’m pretty sure people think I’m nuts, stooped and closely examining a rock or a spot of bark dust in a parking lot. “But this moss is different from the\u00a0other moss, and I need to see what it feels like” I want to explain. But either I still look crazy, or I’m talking to a fellow crazy plant person, in which case they already understand.
\n<\/p>\n

Some moss is soft and golden and feathery, and you can’t help but run your fingers through it.
\n\"golden<\/p>\n

Some moss is sprouting what look like tiny spiky conifers.
\n\"moss<\/p>\n

\"moss<\/p>\n

\"cypress<\/p>\n

Some moss (or lichen?) is coarse and papery and looks like it\u00a0has fallen from the trees.\u00a0 It was firmly planted, I checked.
\n\"lichen<\/p>\n

Some patches of moss serve as placemats for snacking birds.
\n\"moss<\/p>\n

Some mosses appear to be growing their own mosses. Moss on moss.
\n\"moss<\/p>\n

Some mosses are growing their own Mexican Feather Grass.
\n\"moss<\/p>\n

Some look like they’re part of a tide pool scene with sedums and sempervivums for sea anemones.
\n\"sea<\/p>\n

\"moss<\/p>\n

And others look like alien life forms.
\n\"moss<\/p>\n

But mostly moss is fleeting and comes and goes at will, rarely tamed by gardeners. Because we always want what we can’t have, I get very excited when I find plants that mimic moss.<\/p>\n

I have a new plant crush. Must have Bolax gummifera,<\/a> which I’m currently unable to find, making me want it even more. It’s hardy to zone 6a so there’s no reason not to give it a shot. What’s not to love? It’s this lush, mounding, cascading, green flowering, dense carpet. If I locate this plant, I’ll send up the bat signal, and if you find it, will you do the same?<\/p>\n

\"bolax
Bolax gummifera by Karl Gercens III<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bolax
Bolax gummifera, with bones on it for some reason, by Liam Quinn<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bolax_gummifera_form
Bolax gummifera by Stan Shebs<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

A little bit more zone denial will be necessary for this one in Portland, but Scleranthus biflorus<\/a> is an Australian native hardy to zone 9a. I ‘m willing to gamble on zone 9 plants \u00a0since it seems winter just completely passed us by and if it’s not going to snow, then I’m going to have those plants the cool California kids grow, dammit. As Annie’s Annuals<\/a>\u00a0says about this plant, “Create your own Japanese moss garden without the high water bill!” Maybe I will, Annie. Maybe I will.<\/p>\n

\"Scleranthus
Scleranthus biflorus by EncycloPetey<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Scleranthus
Scleranthus biflorus by Far Out Flora<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Or perhaps even more attainable, and no less beautiful, Scleranthus uniflorus<\/a>, which should be hardy to zone 6a. When I saw this one in Loree’s archives<\/a> from her visit to Alternative Eden,<\/a> it instantly went on my wish list. No surprise with Mark & Gaz’s design sense, it is so perfectly placed here, spilling out on the path.<\/p>\n

\"Scleranthus
Scleranthus uniflorus by Loree Bohl<\/a> at Mark and Gaz’s<\/a> garden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I wonder if this mystery plant I admired at Portland Nursery years ago is actually this very same Scleranthus uniflorus.
\n\"unknown<\/p>\n

Minuartia Stellaria<\/a> is another quite convincing moss impostor (immosstor?).<\/p>\n

\"Minuartia
Minuartia stellaria ‘Frank Cabot’ by Arrowhead Alpines<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you’re going for an impressive spread, could you do better than the creeping Muehlenbeckia axillaris ‘Nana?’<\/a> Wow.<\/p>\n

\"muehlenbeckia
Muehlenbeckia axillaris nana by Karl Gercens III<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, there’s always room for one more Scotch Moss<\/a> and the darker green Irish Moss.<\/a> They’re easier to come by, but that doesn’t make me like them any less.<\/p>\n

\"scotch<\/p>\n

\"scotch<\/p>\n

It’s always good to get out in a good soggy forest from time to time and enjoy the moss\u00a0nature has planted. This was taken at Thompson’s Nursery in Waldport on the Oregon coast, where the moss is really happy. \u00a0Always an inspiration.
\n\"moss<\/p>\n

Featured Plants<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tell me I’m not alone. Now that it’s all moist and mossy out there, I frequently see moss that stops me in my tracks. There are just so many strange-good variations. I’m pretty sure people think I’m nuts, stooped and closely examining a rock or a spot of bark dust in a parking lot. “But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[1655,1822,102,1029,104,1820,1821,105,1823,106,103,1819,176,108,191],"yoast_head":"\nA few good moss imposters - Plant Lust<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tell me I'm not alone. 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