Gemeines Weißmoos (Wildform)

Season Overview

Description

Common white moss (Leucobryum glaucum), also known as true white moss and, in some regions, as cushion moss, is a moss from the Leucobryaceae family that forms light green cushions when wet and whitish, domed cushions when dry. It is one of the few mosses used for decorative purposes. Distribution The moss is widespread in Europe. It also occurs in Asia, North America, and Central America. It grows in acidic, at least temporarily waterlogged, lime-free locations, especially on raw humus in coniferous forests and woodlands, as well as in moors and on silicate rock. It can also be found on dead wood and peat. Characteristics The stems of white moss usually reach a height of around 10 cm, but can also grow up to 20 cm tall. They form compact, rounded cushions about 10-20 cm wide, which in turn can form turf. The leaves, which are densely arranged on the stems, stand upright or are slightly inclined to one side. They are 5-12 mm long, entire, lanceolate in shape and rolled up almost tubularly at the tip of the leaflet. At the base, they are ovate. The leaflet base is light-colored and has elongated cells, whereas the rest of the leaflet has almost rectangular cells. The leaflet rib is very broad and consists of three to eight layers of chlorocytes and hyalocytes. The purple seta bears inclined, curved capsules with 16 peristome teeth and two lobes up to the middle. Spore capsules are formed only very rarely. Vegetative propagation occurs through breaking off "broken leaves." Use Common white moss is one of the few mosses that are of economic importance. Its cushions are sometimes used for decorative purposes, for example as decoration in model landscapes and in floristry as "white cushions" for flower arrangements. Other The species is protected in Germany and is under nature conservation. This is to prevent the population from collapsing due to excessive collection. Leucobryum is a predominantly tropical moss genus from the Leucobryaceae family. Only two species occur in Germany, which are often found on acidic soils in shady to semi-shady locations. Both are protected by the Federal Species Protection Ordinance (version February 16, 2005). Characteristics Leucobryum species usually form whitish-green cushion-shaped lawns. The leaves are densely arranged on the stem, which has no central strand, and have a very broad midrib that fills almost the entire leaf and consists of 2 to 10 layers of dead cells (hyalocytes) and one to three layers of greenish chlorocytes. The single, upright seta has upright capsules at the tip, which usually have 16 peristome teeth, are lanceolate in shape, and can be bifurcated to the middle. The calyptra is cap-shaped. Species There are 83 species worldwide, most of which are found in the tropics. There are only two species in Europe: • Common white moss (Leucobryum glaucum) • Juniper white moss (Leucobryum juniperoideum)

Growing tips

🌞 Location & soil Mosses are not tied to a single location, but use a wide range of habitats - the decisive factors are humidity, microclimate and a suitable substrate. - Shady to semi-shady - Cool to moderately warm - Soil, dead wood, bark, stones, rocks, walls, roofs, water, bogs - low in nutrients, rich in humus, mineral, acidic to alkaline - permanently moist to episodically dry 🌱 Planting - Spores: tiny spores are ejected from spore capsules. These spread over a large area and germinate on moist, suitable substrates. - Division: Remove a piece of moss and place it on a new substrate. - "Inoculation": chop up the moss, mix with water and spread on the substrate (even growth on stone, wood or soil) - Actively "planted": place on suitable substrate and keep conditions stable. - They do not need soil, but adhere to stone, wood, bark or soil. - Constant moisture is important, especially in the first few weeks. - In the garden, they are suitable as ground cover, lawn substitutes or for shady areas. - Indoors, they only last in closed containers (bottle garden, terrarium). - Optimal planting period: April to September (15-20°C) 💧 Care - Watering: water regularly, rainwater, No waterlogging, compacted soil possible - Remove weeds, leaves and needles - Fertilization: none - No soil cultivation - Protection from direct sunlight ❄️ Winter protection Mosses are among the most cold-resistant land plants. Many species can survive at temperatures far below freezing because they are allowed to freeze without their cells being destroyed. 🌿 Good neighbors - Plants must tolerate low levels of nutrients. - They must not grow too tall. - They should not form dense root systems. - They must like moisture. - They must not shade or overgrow mosses. - Ferns, forest grasses, sedges, liverworts, wood anemones, woodruff, dwarf funcias (woodland bed) - Rushes, cotton grass, broom heather, bog lily, carnivorous plants (bog bed) - Saxifrage, thyme, sedum, dwarf grasses (rock garden) - Japanese maple, ferns, dwarf bamboo, holly (Japanese garden) - Primula, violets, crocuses, snowdrops, lily of the valley, star moss (ornamental garden) 🚫 Bad neighbors - Lawn and ornamental grasses, sunflowers - Funkias, asters, phlox, large ferns, mint - Ivy, periwinkle, golden strawberries, chokecherry, guelder rose - Nettle, lupine, dahlias, roses, geraniums, clover - Lavender, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sedum - Steppe and prairie plants 🍂 Diseases - Fungal infestation - Algae growth 🐌 Pests - Springtails - fungus gnats - birds - Snails

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Light germinator

Germination temperature

15 - 20 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

1 cm

Row spacing

1 cm

Seeding depth

0.1 cm