perennial

Ribbed Bog Moss

Aulacomnium palustre

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Ribbed Bog Moss (Aulacomnium palustre) at Lurvey Garden Center

Ribbed Bog Moss

Ribbed Bog Moss

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Ribbed Bog Moss (Aulacomnium palustre) at Lurvey Garden Center

Ribbed Bog Moss foliage

Ribbed Bog Moss foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  4 inches

Spread:  12 inches

Sunlight:  partial shade  full shade 

Hardiness Zone:  1

Other Names:  Tufted Moss, Glow Moss

Description:

This moss naturally occurs in wet coniferous forests, swamps, fens, and is common in the Boreal forest; reddish fuzzy stems contrasting with yellow foliage, this variety makes a great accent pondside or in wet shaded areas

Ornamental Features

Ribbed Bog Moss' narrow leaves emerge yellow in spring, turning chartreuse in color throughout the season on a plant with a spreading habit of growth.

Landscape Attributes

Ribbed Bog Moss is a dense herbaceous perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Ribbed Bog Moss is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting
  • Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Ribbed Bog Moss will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and tends to be biennial, meaning that it puts on vegetative growth the first year, flowers the second, and then dies. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Ribbed Bog Moss is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Garden  Container  Bog 
Applications
Texture 
Ornamental Features