Guide
Best moss for a terrarium
Moss has no roots: it drinks from the air and the surface it sits on, so humidity matters more than soil. 25 of the 31 mosses in the guide are fine in a closed jar.
Moss for a closed terrarium
| Moss | Difficulty | Light | Humidity | Grows on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common feather-moss | Beginner | 800 to 10,000 lux | 70 to 100 % RH | soil, wood |
| Flame moss | Beginner | 500 to 10,000 lux | 80 to 100 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Java moss | Beginner | 500 to 10,000 lux | 80 to 100 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Rough-stalked feather-moss | Beginner | 3,500 to 23,000 lux | 60 to 100 % RH | soil, wood |
| Sheet moss | Beginner | 1,500 to 15,000 lux | 50 to 95 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Weeping moss | Beginner | 500 to 10,000 lux | 80 to 100 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Baby tooth moss | Easy | 1,000 to 15,000 lux | 70 to 100 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Blunt-leaved bogmoss | Easy | 3,000 to 30,000 lux | 70 to 100 % RH | soil |
| Brocade moss | Easy | 2,000 to 20,000 lux | 60 to 95 % RH | soil, wood |
| Christmas moss | Easy | 800 to 10,000 lux | 85 to 100 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Common haircap | Easy | 3,000 to 30,000 lux | 60 to 100 % RH | soil |
| Common pocket moss | Easy | 400 to 6,000 lux | 75 to 100 % RH | soil, stone |
| Common smoothcap | Easy | 1,000 to 10,000 lux | 65 to 95 % RH | soil |
| Fern moss | Easy | 1,000 to 10,000 lux | 70 to 100 % RH | soil, wood |
| Many-fruited thyme-moss | Easy | 1,000 to 25,000 lux | 70 to 100 % RH | soil, stone |
| Mood moss | Easy | 1,500 to 15,000 lux | 55 to 95 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Common apple-moss | Moderate | 800 to 6,000 lux | 70 to 95 % RH | soil, stone |
| Cushion moss | Moderate | 1,500 to 10,000 lux | 60 to 95 % RH | soil, stone |
| Dotted thyme-moss | Moderate | 800 to 8,000 lux | 80 to 100 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Fox-tail feather-moss | Moderate | 300 to 4,000 lux | 80 to 100 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Red sphagnum | Moderate | 8,000 to 50,000 lux | 75 to 100 % RH | soil |
| Seductive entodon | Moderate | 2,000 to 15,000 lux | 50 to 90 % RH | stone, wood |
| Smaller white-moss | Moderate | 1,000 to 6,000 lux | 65 to 95 % RH | soil, stone, wood |
| Tree moss | Moderate | 3,000 to 25,000 lux | 70 to 100 % RH | soil |
| Knight's plume moss | Demanding | 1,500 to 10,000 lux | 70 to 100 % RH | soil, wood |
Moss for an open jar
These dry-country mosses rot or yellow in a sealed jar.
| Moss | Difficulty | Light | Humidity | Grows on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire moss | Easy | 3,000 to 50,000 lux | 30 to 80 % RH | soil, stone |
| Juniper haircap | Moderate | 6,000 to 50,000 lux | 40 to 85 % RH | soil, stone |
| Silver moss | Moderate | 5,000 to 60,000 lux | 30 to 80 % RH | soil, stone |
| Star moss (twisted moss) | Moderate | 8,000 to 60,000 lux | 30 to 75 % RH | soil, stone |
| Rock cap moss (Hedwigia) | Demanding | 8,000 to 60,000 lux | 30 to 70 % RH | stone |
| Woolly fringe-moss | Demanding | 5,000 to 60,000 lux | 50 to 90 % RH | stone |
How moss behaves in the simulator
- It gains ground two ways: thickening where it is, and creeping outward from its edge.
- It climbs stones and wood it can live on, never rock of the wrong pH.
- Aquarium mosses creep up the glass of a wet sealed tank.
- Below 42% of its needs met it stops and slowly browns back.
- It drinks from the air as much as the soil.
More terrarium guides
- Closed vs open terrariumWhich to build, and which plants suit each.
- Best plants for a closed terrariumPlants that live sealed, easiest first.
- Terrarium layers explainedDrainage, barrier, soil and top dressing, and what each does.
- Terrarium drainage: LECA vs gravel vs lava rockEvery drainage material side by side.
- Mould in a terrariumWhy new jars fuzz, which mould matters, and how to stop it.
- Springtails vs isopodsThe cleanup crew compared: what each eats and where it lives.