Homalothecium sericeum (Silky Wall Feather-moss)

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Homalothecium spp.

homalothecium mosses

Brachytheciaceae

Northern Hemisphere (calcareous habitats)

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow

Overview

Homalothecium spp. is a genus of pleurocarpous mosses in the family Brachytheciaceae, growing on rock, walls, tree bases, and calcareous soil mainly across the Northern Hemisphere. The plants form spreading, interwoven mats of creeping stems with upright or curving branches, the whole patch 0.4-2 inches (1-5 cm) deep, in shades of yellow-green to golden-green that gleam silkily when dry. The leaves are narrowly triangular, pleated with lengthwise folds, and taper to a narrow point, overlapping along the branches to give a neat, plaited look. When dry, the branch tips often curl. Several species, such as H. sericeum, cling tightly to limestone walls and tree trunks, while H. lutescens grows in calcareous grassland and dunes. The spore capsules are cylindrical and held upright to slightly inclined on reddish stalks, ripening in winter and spring. Homalothecium spp. favours base-rich, well-lit, often dry-surfaced habitats and tolerates periods of drought by drying to a duller tone and reviving when wetted. The silky sheen of the dry mats gives the name silk-moss to some species.

Native Range

Homalothecium spp. is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America, with some species elsewhere. It grows on limestone rock and walls, tree bases, and calcareous grassland and dunes, favouring base-rich, well-lit sites.

Suggested Uses

Homalothecium spp. species are grown in moss gardens and on green walls and stonework for golden, silky cover, and they colonise old walls, roofs, and gravestones. The genus indicates base-rich, often calcareous habitats. Silky feather-mosses are used in bryophyte study and in naturalistic planting on masonry.

How to Identify

Identify by the spreading yellow-green to golden mats of creeping mossy stems with plaited, pleated, narrowly triangular leaves that give a silky sheen when dry. The cylindrical upright capsules on reddish stalks ripen in winter and spring. Habitat and microscopic leaf features separate the species, such as wall-dwelling H. sericeum from grassland H. lutescens.

Appearance

Colors

Foliage Colors

green

yellow green

Bloom Information

Mosses do not flower. Homalothecium spp. reproduces by spores from cylindrical capsules borne on reddish stalks, ripening mainly in winter and early spring. It also spreads vegetatively by stem fragments, and many patches enlarge chiefly by creeping growth.

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Homalothecium spp. grows on base-rich rock, walls, soil, and tree bases in sun to light shade, tolerating dry surfaces by drying out and reviving when rewetted. It favours limestone and mortar and is common on old walls and gravestones. In moss gardening and green-wall plantings it establishes on firm, lime-rich, well-lit surfaces from fragments. Acidic substrates and deep shade reduce it. Many species colonise stonework and dry grassland on their own.