Nancy Church says:

While I love looking at the green walls on your blog each week, this one aggravates me. First of all, Mosstile is a complete misnomer because moss and lichen are two completely different plants. This is reindeer moss (again, another industry misnomer), which is a lichen and this application is most likely dead lichen, hence the reason it needs no maintenance or lighting.

According to University of Florida, “Reindeer mosses were originally named for their value as a food source for reindeer and caribou in the plant’s northern range. Reindeer moss is really a lichen – a combination of a fungus and an alga, which share a symbiotic relationship and form a new plant.”

Also, “Reindeer moss is spongy and rubbery when moist, but becomes dry and brittle in times of little rain and will crunch if stepped on.” So, this application will be brittle and not soft, as it appears in the images.

I have nothing against lichen. In fact it amazes me almost as much as does moss. I do, however, think that many companies play on the love of moss (the real stuff) and manipulate the consumer by merely offering something that is green and somewhat fuzzy, as in some of the “mosses” used in the floral industry.

So, caveat emptor with “Mosstiles.” If putting dead plants on the wall satisfies your aesthetic sense, then why not put down some astroturf as carpet? Hooray for trying to bring the outdoors in. Boo for misnaming it.

Sincerely,

Nancy Church
Director of Business Development
Moss Acres