Mosses hit their heads in virtually every type of garden over time, there are garden owners who are also specifically bothered by the presence of these little plants.
Moss is generally considered a specific plant in Japanese gardens. Although we do not encounter moss in all Japanese gardens, it is still quite widespread. Mosses are not usually planted in Japanese gardens, they appear on their own, and are then carefully cultivated by professionals who care for the Japanese garden.
Moss in Japanese gardens
Moss is an impressive plant because it can live almost anywhere. An exception to this is the very warm, cold or dry climate. Due to the high humidity, moss loves to absorb nutrients directly from the air in Japanese gardens, so it is unable to live and grow in the long term in too dry enviroment.
Plants of Japanese gardens
Mosses are one of the most hardy species in the entire flora. In Japan, humidity naturally decreases throughout the year, so mosses during dry periods like the Japanese winter fold their small leaves and change their color to yellow or brown in Japanese gardens. However, with the arrival of spring and the first rains, they practically revive and soon regain a beautiful green appearance.
The moss of Japanese gardens
There are also varieties of mosses, so it’s natural that not all mosses bloom everywhere. There are mosses that prefer sunny places and are therefore more resistant to drought than their other relatives. One of the most common mosses in Japanese gardens is Polytrichum juniperinum. This type of moss tolerates the Sun perfectly, so it can survive the drought of the Japanese plot as well.