What Do Moss & Fern Plants Need to Survive?

Ferns and mosses evolved earlier than conifers and flowering plants.

Mosses and ferns survive in a wide variety of climates, including the fragile fern (Cystopteris fragilis) that grows as far north as the Arctic Circle. Despite these environmental extremes, most ferns and mosses have nearly identical environmental requirements.

Water

Mosses and ferns require regular water, whether from a nearby creek, rainfall or humidity. Mosses are primitive, nonvascular plants with no inner structures to move water. Instead, they absorb water directly into the cells. Ferns, although they do have a vascular system, have delicate tissues that soon wither and die in dry conditions.

Partial Shade

Both ferns and mosses have little protection from harsh sunlight. Some ferns, such as the cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), may survive sunny locations if they have constant water, but direct sunlight rapidly evaporates water in the soil and increases transpiration, or water loss, in the plant. The sun also damages unprotected plant tissues, just as sunlight damages human skin.

Nutrients

Despite their preference for rich, well-drained soil, mosses and ferns are light feeders. Some ferns are epiphytes, dwelling on trees or other structures rather than in-ground, and survive on whatever nutrients wash into their arboreal homes. Mosses rely on water to carry nutrients to the individual cells. Overfertilization may actually damage ferns and mosses.

References

• University of Wisconsin: Pteridophytes of Wisconsin - Cystopteris fragilis
• East Stroudsburg University: Moss and Fern Diversity
• University of Florida: Ferns

Resources

• Clemson University: Hardy Ferns