Moss
Juniper haircap
Polytrichum juniperinum
ModerateOpen jar only
Grey-green shoots with red tips that open like stars.
What the simulation uses
- Light
- 6,000 to 50,000 lux
- The brightness it grows well in.
- Humidity
- 40 to 85 % RH
- Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.
- Temperature
- 5 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
- 4 to 5.5 pH
- Soil acidity it prefers.
- Grows up
- 0.2 cm/month
- How fast it gains height in good conditions.
- Spreads
- 0.05 cm/month
- How fast its edge creeps outwards.
- Thickens
- 1.25 %/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
- 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
- good
- 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
- 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
- low light
- sealed jar
- lime
Description
In the wild it grows on dry, acid, open ground, and its leaves are built to use strong light. Low light, lime and a sealed jar all hurt it, so grow it in an open container in a bright spot.
Also called star moss (trade), juniper haircap moss.
Estimated, where sources were thin: growth rate (genus data used).