The Annual Moss Edition - 2017

If you are a new reader of this blog you may wonder why we have a yearly post about moss. After all, some folks cringe at the sight of moss, especially when it seems to take over your roof, driveway, and lawn. But moss has many useful properties as well and is almost an art form in natural settings. Here in the Northwest, moss thrives in our mild, wet winter climate and western Oregon forests provide a perfect platform for moss. Historically, Native Americans used moss for insulation and to clean salmon among other things.

To lend a bit of perspective, there are over 12,000 species of moss in the plant division Bryophyta. They do not have flowers or seeds, which makes them a bit of an odd couple for a wildflower blog. On the other hand, the natural beauty of moss and lack of any other flower blooms in mid-February brings us back to why we have this annual post. Of course, moss grows all year, but in this neck of the woods, it always seems to be at its prime right now.


Last year's Moss Issue covered the current day use of moss as a bio-indicator. Several news outlets reported that toxic airborne chemicals were found in Portland, initially by its effects on moss. See that post for more details. This year, we'll "focus" a bit on the artistic side of moss as practiced in traditional Japanese gardens.

Traditional Japanese gardens almost always include some type of moss usage. The moss is meant to pay tribute to the natural world, in a stylized and artistic manner. Although the first use of moss for aesthetic purposes is not known, Japanese gardens have been documented as early as 710 AD in Nara, Japan. The overall design of any authentic Japanese Garden is influenced by Buddhist, Shinto, and Taoist philosophies in an effort to bring a a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquility. Here in our area, the Portland Japanese Garden is notable for its design of five distinct areas. Several of those have a wealth of moss, covering nearly every open space that is not planted.

On a recent visit to the garden, we observed the use of moss as a visual ground cover. Here are few views of the garden:

     

     

This year's gallery of moss in natural places has been gleaned from local nature walks in our area, including Noble Woods park, Cooper Mountain Nature park, Tualatin Hills Nature park, Henry Hagg lake, and our back yard. Our botanical knowledge is limited in the moss world, so these fine subjects in the photos will remain anonymous!

     

     

     

     

    

And last, but not least, when you are out for a walk in the park, it always pays to look for details, high and low. We recently found this tiny barn scene near ground level in an oak tree at Noble Woods park.

Links:

2016 Annual Moss Issue

Living with Mosses - OSU website

Portland Japanese Garden

Underdogs of the Understory

Jan. 12, 2017

Getting out an about on the trail this time of year in western Oregon is always more of a challenge due to low temps, short days, and the fog/rain/snow/ice that tend to linger around, reminding us of our 45 degrees north latitude and proximity to the ocean. But the worst winter in years and cabin fever has a way of motivating us to make the leap. Fortunately, by the time Groundhog Day rolls around, we are usually looking at the short end of winter around here, despite the whims of certain celebrity woodchuck rodents back east.

Conditions for getting out are improving but the storms of the past two months have taken a toll. Unfortunately, extensive tree damage from several ice storms is evident in most of our local natural areas. And the wetlands continue to be wet - as in under water!

Nevertheless, while out scouting the trails that are open, we managed to capture a few interesting images between coffee breaks and the yearly tax preparation panic. Mostly, we saw the fascinating "underdogs of the understory:" fungus, lichen, ferns, and moss. But these underdogs do offer interesting structures, shapes and colors to the casual observer, so I'm a fan indeed!

I'm no expert when it comes to these curious organisms, so exact identification may elude our wildflower hounds. Here's a sampling:

Gills on a football sized tree fungus.
Cooper Mountain Nature Park

Lipstick Cladonia lichen on a stump. Cooper
Mountain N.P.

Moss and Sword ferns at Tualatin Hills N.P.

Colorful fungus on a dead Pacific Madrone branch.
Cooper Mountain N.P.

Tiny silver cap mushrooms, about dime-sized.
Tualatin Hills N.P.

Oakmoss lichen and Beard lichen on an Oak tree.
Cooper Mountain N.P.

Turkey Tail fungus at Dairy Creek park

     

Beard Lichen on oaks (left) and moss and lichen on stump (right)

Cooper Mountain N.P.

Wild rose hips add a splash of color.

The good news is that our daylight is more than 30 minutes longer since the winter solstice; and our average daily high temperatures are on the upswing. But don't cancel your spring vacation to Mexico just yet - the rainy season may stay around, like crazed yellow jackets at your summer barbecue - the one you invited your boss and family to.