© Joe Holt, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC) · iNaturalist
Calliergonella spp.
spear-moss
Northern hemisphere temperate and boreal
Container Friendly
Native to North America
Overview
Calliergonella spp. is a genus of robust pleurocarpous mosses in the family Pylaisiaceae, found in damp grassland, fens, dune slacks, and lawns across the northern hemisphere. The widespread species C. cuspidata forms loose green to yellow-green wefts with shoots 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long; its growing tips are drawn into a sharp, spear-like point where young leaves overlap, which gives it the common name pointed spear-moss. Stems are sparingly to regularly branched, sometimes flushed red, and bear oval to lance-shaped leaves about 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) long without the strong midrib seen in many mosses. The genus has no roots, flowers, or vascular tissue and takes up moisture across its surface, anchoring by rhizoids. Spore capsules are curved cylinders held on red stalks, though many colonies spread mainly by fragmentation and rarely fruit. Calliergonella spp. is associated with neutral to lime-rich, seasonally wet ground and thins out where soils dry or acidify, so it persists in moist turf but fades in drought.
Native Range
Calliergonella spp. is widespread through temperate and boreal regions of the northern hemisphere, including Europe, northern Asia, and North America, with scattered records elsewhere. It grows in fens, wet meadows, marsh edges, dune slacks, and damp lawns, usually on neutral to calcareous, seasonally waterlogged ground.Suggested Uses
Calliergonella spp. is used in moss gardens, bog and fen plantings, and damp lawn settings where a low green carpet is wanted. It can colonise moist, neutral to alkaline turf and pond surrounds. Its need for steady moisture and dislike of acidic, dry soil limit where it can be grown.How to Identify
Appearance
Bloom Information
Mosses do not flower. Curved cylindrical spore capsules, when produced, ripen on red stalks in spring, but many colonies fruit only rarely and spread instead by broken shoot fragments. Vegetative growth is fastest in the cool, moist conditions of autumn and spring.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green to yellow-green, sometimes red-tingedGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Calliergonella spp. is seldom cultivated and is met mostly in wet meadows, fens, and moss gardens. It needs consistently moist, neutral to lime-rich ground and an open to lightly shaded position, and it shrinks back where soil dries or turns strongly acidic. It takes up water and minerals from rain and ground moisture rather than from roots and needs no feeding. Patches can be lifted and pressed onto damp soil to establish new growth. Prolonged drought and dense leaf litter are the main causes of loss.Pruning
No pruning is needed. Wefts can be trimmed or pulled apart, and the loose pieces laid on damp ground to spread the moss. Lifting off smothering leaf litter keeps the colony exposed to light and rain.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons