In honor of St. Patrick's Day next week, I thought I'd skip the green beer and talk about Irish moss.
As the winter reseeds, I enjoy seeing the lush green moss that has been hiding under the snow as it clings to rocky ledges. It offers a taste of the greenness to come.
The common mosses we see around our property or in natural areas are easy to grow if you have the right conditions. Most mosses like semi to full shade, moisture and acidity. An easy way to get common moss to populate an area with these conditions is to take 1 cup of existing moss and mash it up with 2 cups of buttermilk into a watery mixture. Then paint it on the rocks, old buckets, landscape fabric or any surface that you want it to grow and keep well watered. In a few weeks it should start growing.
Irish moss (Sagina subulata), though, is actually not a moss but a ground cover in the carnation family. It has the soft, green lushness of moss, but also produces small, white flowers. Unlike common moss, Irish moss has roots and doesn't like deep shade or excessive moisture. It grows best in part sun on well-drained, compost amended soil, but not in a hot area. Plant it where it will get afternoon shade so it won't brown in the summer and keep the soil moist. Plant Irish moss between stepping stones or in a rock garden. In late spring it will produce white flowers.
So, with a little luck of the Irish you'll have some nice, evergreen moss to enjoy.
