Native Ferns, Moss, and Grasses

Science News,  Feb 9, 2008  

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NATIVE FERNS, MOSS, AND GRASSES WILLIAM CULLINA

In contrast to their 50-foot-tall predecessors that towered beside the dinosaurs, modern day club-mosses creep along the forest floor from the tropics to the tundra. Gardeners may wish to add these ancient plants, which come in lovely tones of yellow and green, to their yards. Cullina warns, however, that cultivation of clubmoss is difficult; even the fungal microrrhizae they live with must survive transplant. But this author has done it, and describes how. Most other species covered in this encyclopedic book survive more easily. Broom moss, for example, grows on rocks and retains a deep-green color even when dry or frozen. Mosses, ferns, and grasses sophisticate a landscape by sewing together flowers against a lime, chartreuse, or emerald background. Houghton Mifflin, 2008, 256 p., color photos, hardcover, $40.00.

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