If a dense carpet of moss spreads out on ornamental and fruit trees, the question of possible damage potential is obvious. The home gardener is all too familiar with the damage moss can cause on pavement or in the lawn. Read here how to evaluate moss on the tree.
Moss does not harm the Bam, quite the opposite!
Mosses are not parasitic plants
If moss settles on a tree trunk, the bark only acts as a base. The little plants hold on with extremely delicate cell threads (rhizoids). These pseudo-roots have no management function. Rather, moss plants take nutrients and water from their environment. At the same time, they are so diligent in photosynthesis that they are not dependent on outside help. Consequently, moss does not directly damage a tree.
Important part in the ecosystem and practical indicator plant
Moss has been an important player in Mother Nature's kingdom for more than 350 million years. The green midgets take on important tasks in the ecosystem and serve as a meaningful indicator plant for foresters and well-informed home gardeners. We have compiled the outstanding advantages of moss on the tree for you here:
- Valuable food source for insects
- Valuable material for nest building
- Habitat for beneficial insects such as assassin bugs
- Indicator plant for acidity, mildew, excess moisture and poor ventilation
If you want to remove the moss from the tree - regardless of its merits - simply brush off the green film with a stiff wire brush. Please do not apply any pressure to avoid damaging the bark.
Unreliable as a guide
Moss on the tree only serves as a green guide to a limited extent. The fact is that in our latitudes, moss usually thrives on the north or north-west side of trees. In regions with an individual microclimate, in dense forests or in narrow gorges, moss naturally grows in all directions. The position of the sun or a compass are definitely the more reliable guides in the great outdoors.
tips
If a tree trunk is densely populated with a green covering, moss is not necessarily the culprit. Green, yellow, or orange lichens favor similar living conditions. In fact, lichens are not plants, but a symbiotic community that algae enter into with a fungus. This compound organism also does not harm the trees.