Sagina subulata

Sagina subulata: Plush Green Moss That Isn't Moss

A bright emerald carpet so tight and soft it makes your lawn look like it's not even trying. Irish moss tucks between pavers and stays green all year. THE LAWN SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sagina subulata
• Common Name: Irish Moss, Heath Pearlwort
• Height: 2–5 cm (1–2 in)
• Spread: 30 cm (12 in) or more over time
• Flowers: Tiny, white, five-petalled stars held just above the foliage
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June), with a few later flowers
• Foliage: Bright emerald green, awl-shaped and moss-like, forming a dense evergreen mat
• Features: Very low ground cover, tolerates light foot traffic, evergreen

Where to Plant: It's made for the spaces between flagstones and stepping stones, path edges, rock gardens, troughs and the rim of a pond. It also works in containers and fairy gardens. Light foot traffic is fine, but a busy route to the shed calls for something sturdier.

Companion Plants: Plant Irish moss between pavers or at the front of a moist bed in sun or part shade with soft colour above it. Kalimeris 'Blue Star' adds light blue daisies at 30 to 45 cm from June to September. Astrantia 'Star of Beauty' brings purple pincushion flowers at 60 cm from June to August. Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' adds lavender-pink fluff on black stems at 120 to 150 cm in July and August. Molinia 'Moorhexe' grows to 60 to 90 cm in flower with fine dark green blades.

Plant Care: Plant it in moist but well-drained soil. Full sun gives the densest carpet in our region, and part shade is fine, with slightly looser growth. In hot, exposed spots, a little afternoon shade helps it through July. Keep it evenly moist but never soggy, especially in its first summer. Feed it lightly, if at all, since rich feeding makes it hump up into mounds instead of lying flat. Brown patches usually mean too much or too little water. There's nothing to cut back. To fill gaps, cut small rooted plugs from an established patch in spring and replant them. It may also seed itself into nearby cracks, and stray seedlings are easy to pull.

History: Irish moss is not a moss but a tiny flowering plant in the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae. Heath pearlwort grows wild across western and central Europe, including Britain and Ireland, and its species name subulata means awl-shaped, after its narrow, pointed leaves.

Final Thoughts: It handles light foot traffic, and tiny white stars dot it in late spring. Go barefoot. YOUR TOES DESERVE THIS.