The star moss, native to Central Europe, is not actually a moss in the true sense of the word, but a small cushion plant that belongs to the genus Sagina from the carnation family. Known under the botanical name pine-pearl, this plant is low and creeping ground cover a magical design element for every garden, as it has numerous applications.
The small cushion plant Sagina subulata is known in English-speaking countries as “Irish moss” or “Scottish moss”
Growth and flowering time
Over time, the star moss forms an evergreen cushion that attracts a lot of attention, especially in summer, thanks to its countless white flowers that look like little stars dotted over the plant. This ground cover is mostly found in Rock gardens and is often used as a lawn substitute on smaller areas. Star moss looks particularly good when it fills the space between stepping stones or grows between wide paving joints.
The star-shaped flowers in brilliant white, which appear from June to August, consist of five petals and rise on short stems above the foliage of Sagina subulataWith its low growth height of 3-5cm, the flat, perennial plant spreads creeping to a width of 20 to 25 cm. The Pearlwort can quickly form a solid carpet through self-rooting side shoots or spread through self-seeding.
Location, planting and care
A partially shaded to shady location is perfect for the small plant. If it is planted in a very sunny location, it can dry out quickly. Sagina subulata does not have any special soil requirements, but prefers moist but well-drained garden soil, because if it is waterlogged, the roots will easily start to rot. Therefore, loamy soil should be improved with sand before planting. In the wild, the plant grows Pearlwort also on dry and sandy substrates as well as on gravel soils.
The creeping ground cover prefers partially shaded to shady locations
Even though star moss spreads quickly, the soil should be carefully cleared of weed freed, as the plant is not particularly competitive. This makes it easier for the young star moss to grow. You should also plant the Sagina subulata in tufts, with a planting distance of 15 to 25 centimeters, as a plant grows about 20cm wide.
Does star moss come as Lawn replacement If you consider this plant, you will need about 15 young plants per square meter. After a new planting, the soil must be kept evenly moist until the young plants have taken root. Caution: Because of its strong tendency to spread, planting star moss in beds is only recommended with appropriate restrictions.
Star moss is perfect as a lawn substitute for partially shaded garden areas
Star moss is a particularly easy-care and robust plantthat does not need to be cut or mowed. Only if the green cushions are planted in a very sunny location should they be watered thoroughly in the morning and evening, otherwise they can dry out. Adding a little liquid fertilizer to the water every month will ensure that the plant thrives, and in the autumn you should remove the fallen leaves from the cushion perennials.
Important: Young plants often suffer from snail damage, so keep the hungry animals away with snail fences or snail pellets.
The perennial is easy to care for, robust and has no special soil requirements
Propagation and use
To propagate star moss, it is easy to divide it. The best time to do this is in the frost-free spring or in the fall, because in the hot summer the newly planted pearlwort can easily dry out. To do this, you should dig up the individual plants and halve the root ball with a sharp knife.
The hardy and evergreen star moss has a variety of uses in the garden. For example, it can be used to effectively cover shady dry stone walls. In addition to being used as a lawn substitute and as a gap filler between stepping stones, the hardy plant can also be used as Green roofs Also known as popular Rock garden plant The pearlwort can be beautifully combined with many different plants such as carpet chamomile, hornwort, cushion bellflowers or sand thyme.
Advantage: Star moss stays low by nature and does not need to be mown. Due to its dense cushions, star moss is also often used as an underplanting for troughs and flower boxes and as grave planting.
As a popular rock garden plant, Sagina subulata finds a wide range of uses in the garden
Varieties
In addition to the classic Sagina subulata, there are also other varieties such as ‘Aurea‘, which are very popular. Compared to the classic star moss, the leaves of this variety shine in a beautiful shade of yellow. Other varieties such as ‘Green’ and ‘Lime Moss’ have bright yellow-green foliage.
