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Homalothecium sericeum

silky wall feather-moss

Brachytheciaceae

Europe, North Africa, and western Asia

Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Homalothecium sericeum is a pleurocarpous moss in the family Brachytheciaceae, forming low, silky, golden- to yellow-green mats and wefts that cling to hard surfaces. The slender, irregularly branched shoots are 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, with narrow, finely pointed leaves about 0.08 inch (2 mm) long that are strongly pleated lengthwise. When dry the branch tips curl and curve to one side, giving the colony a combed, glossy look; when wet the shoots swell and spread. It anchors by slender rhizoids rather than roots and draws water across its surface. Spore capsules are reddish-brown, cylindrical, and held upright on stalks 0.4-0.8 inch (10-20 mm) long, ripening mainly in winter and spring. The species grows on limestone, mortared walls, rock outcrops, and the bases and trunks of trees across Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, favouring dry, well-lit, base-rich surfaces. It withstands drought by drying to a dormant state and reviving when wetted, but is slow-growing and does poorly on acidic or constantly wet ground. The mats give shelter to small invertebrates.

Native Range

Native across Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, and widespread on suitable surfaces throughout temperate regions. It grows on limestone and other base-rich rock, mortared and stone walls, and the bark at the base of trees, mostly in dry, sunlit, lime-rich places.

Suggested Uses

Grown in moss gardens, on stone ornaments, and on green walls and roofs where a drought-tolerant, lime-loving moss suits sunny masonry. It colonises old walls, gravestones, and paving to give a silky green patina. In bryophyte collections it is kept on base-rich rock or concrete in good light.

How to Identify

A silky, golden-green mat-forming moss whose slender shoots bear narrow, lengthwise-pleated leaves that curl and twist to one side as they dry, giving a combed, shining surface. Upright reddish capsules on short stalks appear mainly in winter. The strongly pleated leaves and silky sheen separate it from many other wall and rock mosses, which look duller and less combed when dry.

Appearance

Colors

Foliage Colors

green

yellow green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range7.0 - 8.5(Alkaline)

357912

Drainagedry

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Homalothecium sericeum grows on hard, base-rich surfaces such as limestone, mortar, stone walls, and tree bases, in full sun to light shade, and needs no soil. It absorbs water and minerals directly across its shoots and tolerates repeated drying, shrivelling in drought and reviving within minutes of rain or dew. Lime or other base-rich material favours it, while acidic, peaty, or permanently wet surfaces hold it back. It is seldom cultivated, but in moss gardens and green walls it is kept on stone or concrete that stays open and is not overgrown by larger plants. It spreads slowly by shoot growth and by spores, and established mats need no feeding or watering. Deep shade and dense competition from vascular plants gradually crowd it out.