What is moss?

Moss is often considered a weed in grass lawns, but is deliberately encouraged to grow under aesthetic principles exemplified by Japanese gardening. In old temple gardens, moss can carpet a forest scene. Moss is thought to add a sense of calm, age, and stillness to a garden scene. read more

Beard moss (Usnea species), Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica), oak moss (Evernia prunastri), and reindeer moss (Cladonia species) are lichens. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is an air plant of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae). Club mosses are fern allies in the family Lycopodiaceae. read more

Any of a number of plants that look like mosses but are not related to them. For instance, reindeer moss is a lichen, Irish moss is an alga, and Spanish moss is a bromeliad, a flowering plant. read more