ForestsMosses

Why I love the moss appreciation society!

By January 3, 2024 No Comments

What’s moss?

Mosses are non-vascular plants lacking true roots. They often thrive in moist locations and reproduce through spores. Just today I took a walk in a park close to my house and moss grew on trees; on the north side where there is less direct sunlight.

People love moss!

I had no idea people loved moss so much. There is an actual Moss Appreciation Society group on Facebook. And I think I understand their fascination with moss. Imagine my delight when I walked through ancient temple grounds in Kyoto, Japan. All you see is moss on the ground, a few stone lanterns and Japanese maples and Azaleas. It was simple and beautiful.

Even a moss covered gate column in Langley, British Columbia looks good.

This north facing gate is also shaded out by field maples (Acer campestre).

Hilarious pictures

The best part about belonging to the Moss Appreciation Society is seeing the pictures people post online. People love soft mosses in the woods. I do, too. But some of the pictures are close to suggestive. Like this one. Some moss lovers might find the tights a distraction from the mosses. Who knows. I did.

Some of the pictures remind me of crime scenes from the movies. Like this one:

More women in tights and moss in the woods. But to be honest my first reaction to this photo was “is she Ok?” It does look like a crime scene.

Some people even wear moss on their heads. Why not? I’m not judging anyone.

Nature

We need nature. We must go out and enjoy it and if you love moss and it gets you out into the woods, perfect! Mosses are very interesting plants. Unfortunately, as a landscape professional I’m often asked to remove moss from lawns. Even after I point out that the conditions are ideal for moss development: shady, north facing lawn close to the house.

Running around with moss killer which turns the moss black is depressing. I want to dress my wife in her tights and take her out into the woods to enjoy the mosses. You should go too. And definitely join the Moss Appreciation Society.

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