Sagina 'Aurea'

Sagina 'Aurea': Chartreuse Carpet Sprinkled With White Stars

A golden-green mat so low and soft it looks like somebody rolled out a velvet carpet between the stepping stones. Scotch moss takes light foot traffic like a pro. SHOES OFF, PLEASE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sagina subulata 'Aurea'
• Common Name: Scotch Moss
• Height: 2–5 cm (1–2 in)
• Spread: 15–30 cm (6–12 in)
• Flowers: Tiny, white and star-shaped, held just above the foliage
• Bloom Time: Late spring to summer (May to July)
• Foliage: Golden to chartreuse, awl-shaped and moss-like, forming a dense, evergreen mat
• Features: Very low ground cover, tolerates light foot traffic, bright foliage colour

Where to Plant: Tuck it between flagstones and stepping stones, along the edge of a path, in rock gardens and troughs, or around a small water feature. The gold colour looks best against dark stone or dark mulch. It handles light foot traffic, but keep it off a busy path.

Companion Plants: Veronica 'Georgia Blue' adds blue flowers at 10 to 15 cm in April and May. Dianthus Pretty Poppers® 'Double Bubble' brings pink flowers from June, with rebloom into early fall. Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' is a tiny hosta at 15 to 20 cm with lavender flowers in July and August. All stay low, so they suit a path edge or rock garden in part sun with the golden moss.

Plant Care: Plant it in moist but well-drained soil. Full sun gives the tightest, brightest mat in our climate. In part shade it stays greener and a little looser, and in hot spots some afternoon shade helps. Keep it evenly moist, especially through its first summer, but never soggy. Go easy on fertilizer. Too much nitrogen makes it bunch up into lumpy mounds instead of a flat carpet. Patches can brown out from drought or from sitting wet, so good drainage matters more than anything. No cutting back is needed. To fill bare spots or spread it around, cut small rooted plugs from an established patch in spring and replant them. Slugs are the main pest to watch for.

History: Despite the name, Scotch moss is a member of the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, and not a true moss at all. In the nursery trade, "Irish moss" usually means the green form of heath pearlwort and "Scotch moss" the golden one.

Final Thoughts: Tiny white stars appear in late spring, and the chartreuse brightens any path. Fill the cracks. THE GOLDEN WELCOME MAT.