---
title: Sheet moss in a terrarium | Glass Jar Garden
description: Sheet moss (Hypnum cupressiforme): Smooth flat sheets over bark, rock and soil. The sheet moss sold in bags. Needs light 1,500 to 15,000 lux, humidity 50 to...
url: https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/hypnum-cupressiforme/
---

Moss

# Sheet moss
Hypnum cupressiforme

Beginner · Fine in a closed jar

Smooth flat sheets over bark, rock and soil. The sheet moss sold in bags.

## What the simulation uses

- Light: 1,500 to 15,000 lux (The brightness it grows well in.)

- Humidity: 50 to 95 % RH (Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.)

- Temperature: 8 to 25 °C (Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.)

- Dies at: below -25 or above 44 °C (Days beyond these temperatures kill it.)

- Soil pH: 4.5 to 6 pH (Soil acidity it prefers.)

- Grows up: 0.02 cm/month (How fast it gains height in good conditions.)

- Spreads: 0.13 cm/month (How fast its edge creeps outwards.)

- Thickens: 2.5 %/month (How fast its cover fills in on its own ground.)

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

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

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

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

- Water use: 0.04 ml/cm²/day (Water that evaporates off the cushion each day in room air.)

- Holds water: 0.2 ml/cm² (Water a cm² of moss soaks up and keeps.)

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

## Care

- Day length: 10 to 14 h

- Substrate: Moist

## What kills it

- burial under substrate
- constant saturation
- lime-rich water long term

## Description
It creeps along to make smooth mats and handles drying and dirty air well. Acid surfaces suit it best. Lay it on top of the substrate rather than burying it, and do not let it sit soaked.

Also called cypress-leaved plait-moss, hypnum moss, carpet moss.

Estimated, where sources were thin: growth rate (only relative data); photoperiod_h.

## Sources

- [nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/1131/1/BRYOATT.pdf](https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/1131/1/BRYOATT.pdf)
- [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnum_cupressiforme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnum_cupressiforme)
- [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=1066&context=bryo-ecol-subchapters](https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1066&context=bryo-ecol-subchapters)

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

[Seductive entodon](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/entodon-seductrix/) · [Silver moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/bryum-argenteum/) · [All moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/)