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Consequently, mosses can never venture very far from soil, rock, or tree and the reserve of water these substrates provide unless they grow in extremely wet places like the cloud and temperate rain forests. In the cooler boreal regions of the globe such as much of Canada and Alaska, large mosses luxuriate under conifers that shade the ground and prevent it from drying out. The same is true in cool maritime climates like those of the British Isles and much of Japan. In these places, it is possible to cultivate luxuriant carpets of moss in the manner of turf with just a moderate amount of attention and care. Species like Hylocomium splendens (top left), Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (top right), Ptilium crista-castrensis (bottom left), and Pleurozium schreberi (bottom right) carpet the ground in a 3 inch, spongy carpet. |