---
title: Fox-tail feather-moss in a terrarium | Glass Jar Garden
description: Fox-tail feather-moss (Thamnobryum alopecurum): Dark green mini trees for deep shade by water. Needs light 300 to 4,000 lux, humidity 80 to 100 % RH,...
url: https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/thamnobryum-alopecurum/
---

Moss

# Fox-tail feather-moss
Thamnobryum alopecurum

Moderate · Fine in a closed jar

Dark green mini trees for deep shade by water.

## What the simulation uses

- Light: 300 to 4,000 lux (The brightness it grows well in.)

- Humidity: 80 to 100 % RH (Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.)

- Temperature: 5 to 20 °C (Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.)

- Dies at: below -20 or above 40 °C (Days beyond these temperatures kill it.)

- Soil pH: 6 to 7.5 pH (Soil acidity it prefers.)

- Grows up: 0.1 cm/month (How fast it gains height in good conditions.)

- Spreads: 0.08 cm/month (How fast its edge creeps outwards.)

- Thickens: 0.9 %/month (How fast its cover fills in on its own ground.)

- Copes with wet: excellent (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: excellent (How well it holds on in dim light.)

- Copes with drying: poor (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: Wet

## What kills it

- bright light
- drying
- warmth

## Description
It lives on humid, shaded, limy rocks beside streams and is a true shade plant. Bright light, drying and warmth all harm it. Put it in the dimmest, wettest part of the jar.

Also called foxtail moss.

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

## 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/Thamnobryum_alopecurum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thamnobryum_alopecurum)
- [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/thamnobryum-alopecurum)

[Flame moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/taxiphyllum-flame/) · [Java moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/taxiphyllum-barbieri/) · [All moss](https://glassjar.garden/guide/moss/)