Moss as Groundcover

Moss growing in the grass

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had two garden coaching clients who either had or wanted moss lawns. This is good news because removing moss from lawns is rather cumbersome, if not pointless—moss grows where it wants to grow! And, when you dig into it, moss is a valuable, important member of the ecosystem, so we should encourage it to stick around.

What is Moss? 

First, the answer to a silly question I asked myself the other day: Is moss even a plant? And is it even native? Yes to both! Moss is a bryophyte, which is a plant. But it is non-vascular, so it transports water and nutrients differently than trees and flowers. It also reproduces by spores instead of seeds.

Sporophytes (little leaf-ish things) that will soon disperse spores 

Usually, mosses are native. In fact, their ancestors have lived here for over 400 million years (since before the dinosaurs!), surviving all sorts of climate changes and extinction events. 

Mossy Benefits 

Moss is fabulous at combating soil erosion and retaining water, which benefits the watershed. It thrives in shady areas and places with poor soil, and it can tolerate drought—all the conditions where grass fails. Mosses also sequester carbon. Overall, it's a win for the environment! 

Pincushion moss

How to Help Moss Thrive 

If you take a hands-off approach to moss, it will spread on its own. If you want to hurry things along, you can transplant moss from one spot on your property to another (just don't collect moss from the wild). Simply pick it up and press it firmly onto its new home. You can also walk on moss! Occasional foot traffic won't kill it, but maybe don't use it for a dance party. 

So, if you have moss growing on your lawn, enjoy it!