What Is The Significance Of Moss On Bonsai?

 Moss is often seen on bonsai trees and this leads a lot of people to question what it is all about.

It is often mistakenly seen as some sort of lucky thing to add to your trees, but the reality is that it just looks good and also helps keep the tree healthy.

I will go through why it is used and what significance it has.

Is Moss Considered Lucky On Bonsai Trees?

Moss is not really considered lucky, there is nothing really in bonsai that is “lucky”.

Bonsai is a living art, and the moss plays its part in this.  It is just one of the small little aspects that we can add and control to get the image that we want.

Moss adds value to the tree and makes it look better, but apart from that there is no special significance to it or any kind of luck associated with it.

(You can read more about – Are Bonsai Trees Good Luck?)

Everything In Bonsai Is About The Balance Of Health and Aesthetics

If we look at bonsai in general, pretty much everything is a balance between the health of the tree and its aesthetics …and moss is no exception.

Moss is used to both help with the health of the tree and it is also used for its beauty.

Moss Is Used For Health Reasons

When we look at moss being used for health reasons, we can see that it does give the tree plenty of benefits.

The moss is able to help hold the soil in place and stop soil coming out of the pot, as well as hold moisture in, which will stop the soil drying out as quickly.

This also allows more of the pot to be used. Often the top 1% of the soil may dry out and roots may struggle to grow there. While that does not sound like a lot, in a small pot where space is a premium this can really make a difference.

A layer of moss on top of the soil can allow the roots to use this space as it stops it from drying out so quickly, so now you can have more roots in your pot …and therefore a stronger and healthier tree. 

Moss is Used To Improve The Appearance Of A Bonsai

I think it is clear to see that moss can really improve the appearance of a bonsai.

Moss can help to  create different textures and patterns on the soil that add more visual interest as well as generally just create a more realistic looking planting.

If you look at trees in nature, they are surrounded by either moss or grass, and adding moss to a bonsai pot just help makes things look more natural and like the tree has been established in the pot for a very long time.

It just makes everything look better.

Should You Use Moss On A Tropical Bonsai?

Tropical bonsai are a curious case when it comes to moss, for some of them, it will look great, for others not so much.

It really comes down to the species and the climate they are naturally found in. When we say “tropical” in the bonsai world… what we really mean is “warm environment”. Some tropical bonsai will come from actual tropical places, where the air is hot and humid and everything is green …just like a jungle.

Then we have other “tropical” trees like dwarf jades and really any other succulents, which come from a more arid environment. It’s warm …but it’s also dry.  

Moss will work really well with trees that actually come from a tropical environment and it can really look natural and like you have a little piece of the jungle in your bonsai pot. However, when it comes to the trees that are from more arid regions, I avoid moss on these trees. It is going to look out of place.

You will find this happens naturally anyway, if you look at trees like dwarf jades, you have to let these dry out completely in between watering. This makes these types of pots very unappealing for moss and it will not grow well with these.

If you look at my trees, I have moss naturally growing in all of them …apart from the arid environment trees. The moss just doesn’t even try and grow there, it’s too dry.  

So really, the moss will speak for itself. If it’s want to grow on a tropical tree, it will … if it doesn’t, well then so be it, it probably looks better without it anyway.

There Is A Lot Of Moss In Japan

I think if we take a step back and look at Japan in general, you can see it has the perfect environment for moss.

Japanese forests and even gardens are always covered in moss, the climate is just perfect for it. There is just the right amount of rain, light and general humidity to make it a haven for moss.

This means that it should be no surprise that moss ended up being associated with bonsai. Bonsai is a representation of nature in the miniature form… and for the Japanese, moss is a big part of nature.

I am also sure they have the same problem as me, where the moss just grows by itself on their pots. Maybe they put it there on purpose, or maybe it grew by its self, it doesn’t really matter …I am sure they looked at it and felt it helped add realism to their trees and made them look more natural, which is why it is so popular today to have moss in your bonsai, no matter where you live.

(You can read more about – How Do You Take Care Of Moss On A Bonsai Tree?)

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no real significance to using moss, it is all just down to how it looks. It really can make your bonsai look more pleasing and natural.

However, it does comes with added health benefits by keeping your soil moist for longer, so it really has a dual action and if you are not using moss, you really should, it will really improve your trees.

(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Moss on Bonsai)