We call it feather moss. A botanist might have a few follow-up questions.
Open two packs of our Feather Moss at different times of year and they probably won't look exactly the same. One might be fine, delicate and almost fern-like. Another might have longer branching stems, broader leaves or several shades of green growing together.
That's because the Feather Moss we sell isn't one guaranteed species. It's a seasonal selection of living mosses chosen for something they have in common: the soft, spreading, feathery growth that looks so good across the floor of a terrarium.
Look a little closer and there's rather more going on down there.
So what actually is feather moss?
“Feather moss” is a common name used for a number of mosses with spreading, branching growth that can give them the appearance of tiny green feathers or miniature fern fronds.
Many belong to a broad group of mosses described as pleurocarpous mosses. Unlike the more upright, mound-forming growth associated with many cushion mosses, these mosses tend to grow sideways, branching and spreading to form mats.
That's one reason they're so useful in terrariums. A relatively small amount can be teased apart and arranged across the substrate to create something that looks remarkably like a miniature woodland floor.
Is feather moss a particular species?
Not necessarily.
Common names for mosses can be wonderfully descriptive, but they're not always precise botanical labels. Several different mosses have the spreading, feathery appearance that people associate with feather moss.
In British woodlands, mosses with this sort of growth can include members of genera such as Kindbergia, Brachythecium and Hypnum.
For example, Kindbergia praelonga is known as Common Feathermoss, while Brachythecium rutabulum is known as Rough-stalked Feathermoss. Hypnum cupressiforme is another widespread creeping and branching moss commonly encountered in Britain.
That doesn't mean every pack of our Feather Moss contains those particular species. Moss identification can be surprisingly technical, and closely related species may require examination of individual leaves or microscopic characteristics to distinguish reliably.
We'd rather be accurate than give every green frond an impressive-looking Latin name.
Why does our Feather Moss change?
Because living moss isn't manufactured.
Our Feather Moss is a naturally variable, seasonal product. The precise mixture, colour and growth form available changes throughout the year.
One pack might contain long, finely branching pieces. Another might be denser and more compact. You may see bright fresh green growth alongside deeper woodland greens, and occasional naturally brown sections are perfectly normal as older growth is replaced by new.
For us, that's a feature rather than a flaw.
A terrarium made entirely from identical material can look rather like somebody has installed a very tiny lawn. Mixing subtly different moss textures produces something much closer to the irregularity you'd find on an actual woodland floor.
Why feather moss works so well in terrariums
Feather moss is particularly useful when you want moss to spread across an area rather than create a single rounded feature.
Its branching structure makes it useful for covering substrate, creating transitions around stones and wood, softening the edges of hardscape and establishing the impression of a miniature forest floor.
It's particularly effective in closed terrariums, where the humid environment helps living moss retain moisture.
There's no need to pack every visible centimetre with it, though. Moss benefits from having some room to settle and grow. A little exposed substrate between pieces can often produce a more natural-looking terrarium than filling the container from edge to edge.
Feather moss or cushion moss?
They're useful for slightly different jobs.
Feather moss generally creates a lower, spreading layer. Cushion or bun moss creates rounded mounds and height.
Think landscape rather than species chart: feather moss makes the forest floor; cushion moss makes the hills.
Using both together can create considerably more depth in even a very small terrarium.
Read our full guide to Cushion Moss vs Feather Moss →
What will arrive in my pack?
You'll receive fresh living moss selected for its feathery, spreading character rather than a guaranteed botanical species.
Exactly what it looks like will depend on what's looking good at the time. That's why the photographs on our website should be treated as representative rather than a promise that every stem will be identical.
What doesn't change is what we're looking for: healthy living moss with the texture and growth habit that makes it useful for terrariums, mossariums and miniature landscapes.
How should I look after it?
If you're using your moss immediately, give it the humid, indirect-light environment normally associated with a closed terrarium.
If you're not ready to build your terrarium when the moss arrives, leave it in the bag it came in and keep it somewhere cool and dark. Refrigeration can considerably extend the time it remains usable, and a cool unheated garage or outbuilding can also work well.
Don't be alarmed by occasional brown pieces. Moss continually renews itself and some older brown growth is completely natural.
A tiny woodland, not a botanical specimen
You don't need to know your Kindbergia from your Brachythecium to make a good terrarium.
That's rather the point.
We find the moss. You make the tiny forest.
Ready to make one?
Shop our fresh live moss →