---
title: Silver moss in a terrarium | Glass Jar Garden
description: Silver moss (Bryum argenteum): Tiny silvery cushions from pavement cracks. Tough in dry, bright spots. Needs light 5,000 to 60,000 lux, humidity 30 to 80 %...
url: https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/bryum-argenteum/
---

Moss

# Silver moss
Bryum argenteum

Moderate · Open jar only

Tiny silvery cushions from pavement cracks. Tough in dry, bright spots.

## What the simulation uses

- Light: 5,000 to 60,000 lux (The brightness it grows well in.)

- Humidity: 30 to 80 % RH (Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.)

- Temperature: 10 to 28 °C (Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.)

- Dies at: below -30 or above 45 °C (Days beyond these temperatures kill it.)

- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7 pH (Soil acidity it prefers.)

- Grows up: 0.04 cm/month (How fast it gains height in good conditions.)

- Spreads: 0.09 cm/month (How fast its edge creeps outwards.)

- Thickens: 1.75 %/month (How fast its cover fills in on its own ground.)

- Copes with wet: poor (How well it stands soggy soil; poor means rot comes quickly.)

- Copes with still air: fair (Sealed jars have still air; poor means grey mould finds it.)

- Copes with shade: poor (How well it holds on in dim light.)

- Copes with drying: excellent (How well it survives the jar drying out.)

- Water use: 0.03 ml/cm²/day (Water that evaporates off the cushion each day in room air.)

- Holds water: 0.3 ml/cm² (Water a cm² of moss soaks up and keeps.)

- Grows on: soil, stone (Where it can take hold and spread. Moss that cannot grow on stone thins out there.)

## Care

- Day length: 10 to 14 h

- Substrate: Dry

## What kills it

- shade
- closed humid jar
- heat above 30 C while wet

## Description
Each cushion stays under about 1.5 cm tall. It shrugs off drying and likes a little extra nitrogen, but shade and a sealed humid jar will kill it. Grow it in an open container and never let it get hot while wet.

Also called silvery thread moss, silver-green moss.

Estimated, where sources were thin: growth rate; humidity_rh_pct.

## Sources

- [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryum_argenteum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryum_argenteum)
- [ohiomosslichen.org/moss-bryum-argenteum](https://www.ohiomosslichen.org/moss-bryum-argenteum/)
- [nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/1131/1/BRYOATT.pdf](https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/1131/1/BRYOATT.pdf)
- [digitalcommons.mtu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1061&context=bryo-ecol-subchapters](https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1061&context=bryo-ecol-subchapters)
- [digitalcommons.mtu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1054&context=bryo-ecol-subchapters](https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1054&context=bryo-ecol-subchapters)

[Grow it in a jar](https://glassjar.garden/?guide=moss/bryum-argenteum)

[Sheet moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/hypnum-cupressiforme/) · [Smaller white-moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/leucobryum-juniperoideum/) · [All moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/)