Fern Moss, Common Fern Moss, Ground Fern Moss, Delicate Fern Moss

Fern Moss, Common Fern Moss, Ground Fern Moss, Delicate Fern Moss Thuidium delicatulum Part to full shade; moderately wet to medium moisture level; will grow on most any surface or soil as long as it is moist; acidic pH.  Up to 3.5 inches height.  Most commonly found growing on soil, weathered sandstone and rotting logs in damp grasslands, woodlands, and sometimes rocky areas. Native Region:  Listed by the Tennessee Herbarium as native to Tennessee with no listing by county Description:  This carpet moss is wonderfully textured and looks like a miniature fern.  It can be used to form a dense layer in a terrarium.  It is often used by birds as construction material for building nests.  Its tendency to form colonial mats provides protective cover for small vertebrate animals as well as various invertebrates.

Photo courtesy of Illinois Wildflowers https://illinoiswildflowers.info Photo courtesy of Illinois Wildflowers https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info Photo courtesy of Illinois Wildflowers https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info