A Year of Moss: Weeks 5-7

 A Year of Moss, Week 5:

I spent the past two weeks in the Pacific Northwest, where there is ALL THE MOSS. Look at how pretty it is! It often grows up to an inch thick, covering entire trees, sprouting ferns. This is due to a milder climate and nine months of fairly steady rain/mist.

A Year of Moss, Week 6:

Here are your Moss Facts for the week:

-Mosses get their water and nutrients directly from the air, from moisture, rain, and dust (as opposed to most other plants, that draw up most of their water and nutrients from the roots).

-They have "rhizoids" instead of roots, which are filaments that attach them to surfaces, but do not convey any nutrients. 

-Moss leaves are usually only one cell thick, which makes it easier for them to absorb water and nutrients.

A Year of Moss, Week 7:

Some moss behaves similarly to sea anemones, retracting their leaves when they dry out and "blooming" out green when it rains. I've been tracking a little piece of moss on a stone wall near my house, and the different between dry and wet is pretty stunning!