As discussed in the past couple weeks, although grass lawns are commonplace in the US, they’re expensive and labor-intensive to maintain and harmful to the environment. Clover lawns pose as a great alternative, offering many solutions to several of the issues presented by grass lawns, but moss lawns are another fantastic option that provides different benefits to those who live in certain climates.

Moss lawns have been prominent in Japan for centuries, as it doesn’t need to be mowed, requires no maintenance, and its soft texture and emerald hue make for an enviable lawn. Moss loves poor, acidic soil, and doesn’t need to be fertilized, as it draws nutrients from the air. Although it requires a damp, shady environment, it seldom needs to be watered because it gets moisture from both the soil and the air, and can be drought-tolerant. Obviously, it never needs to be mowed, and is incredible at absorbing carbon: one report claims that 12 square meters, or about 129 square feet, of moss can convert as much as 275 mature tree’s worth of carbon dioxide.

For those interested in getting their own grass lawn, moss can be ordered online or even blended with yogurt or buttermilk and spread across the lawn soil. Collecting moss is simple, as it’s easily moved, but its delicate nature means that it gets damaged from being trampled. A moss lawn is a perfectly low-maintenance alternative to those in shaded and moist environments without children or pets that will stomp on it.

Moss is a perfect option for those with poor soil and a shaded lawn. It requires no maintenance, resources, sucks up a ton of carbon, and often doesn’t even need to be watered. It also has a plush surface that is pleasant to touch and beautiful to see. For those living in the right circumstances, moss is a great alternative to grass with an array of positive attributes.

Thank you for reading the last installment of the lawn series! I enjoyed covering this topic, as it’s something I find super interesting. It was also nice to write about something I actually know quite a bit about, because I didn’t have to spend a lot of time searching for a good topic and blindly looking for interesting facts I didn’t know about.

That being said, I’m ready to move on. That doesn’t mean I won’t return to the series, but it’ll be nice to look at some new stuff! Not that I know what that is yet. Stay tuned to learn with me!

“Blade runners: the joy of moss lawns; Your lawn is a disaster. Abandon the uphill struggle, switch to the low-maintenance alternative.” Observer [London, England], 3 June 2018. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A541218535/OVIC?u=ante588&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=0e32f688. Accessed 18 Aug. 2023.

“Moss: The zero-maintenance lawn.” Washington Times [Washington, DC], 11 May 2005, p. B04. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A132291185/OVIC?u=ante588&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=d1097121. Accessed 18 Aug. 2023.