# Haircap Moss (*Polytrichum commune*)

Haircap moss is a soft, green plant that grows in damp places like forests and wetlands. It looks like a tiny forest on the ground, providing homes for small insects and creatures.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests, Wetlands
- **Also known as:** Common Haircap, Common Haircap Moss, Common Polytrichum, Polytrichum Moss, haircap mosses

![Haircap Moss](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Polytrichum_commune.jpeg&width=800)

Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 14:35, 21 October 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polytrichum_commune.jpeg)

## Appearance

The Haircap Moss has stiff, upright stems covered in tiny, needle-like deep green leaves. It often forms dense, carpet-like mats from which reddish-brown, boxy spore capsules rise on thin stalks, making it stand taller than many other mosses.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Bryophyta
- **Class:** Polytrichopsida
- **Order:** Polytrichales
- **Family:** Polytrichaceae
- **Genus:** Polytrichum

## Interesting facts

- Early settlers sometimes used its strong stems to make small brooms!
- Haircap moss can grow much taller than most other mosses, sometimes over a foot!
- Its tiny rhizoids anchor it, unlike true roots of bigger plants!
- Look closely! Its tiny leaves have ribs that boost sunlight capture.

## Special abilities

- **Water Wicks:** Haircap Moss can move water internally using specialized cells, like tiny straws, helping it stay hydrated in dry conditions.
- **Spore Shooters:** Haircap Moss produces spore capsules on stalks that launch tiny spores into the wind for reproduction and spreading.
- **Soil Stabilizer:** Haircap Moss has dense, interwoven mats that bind soil particles, helping prevent erosion and stabilize the ground.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-30 cm
- **Spread:** 10-50 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — Slugs graze on its green leaves.
- **Shelter:** Banded Springtail (*Orchesella cincta*) — Springtails hide and feed within its dense mat.
- **Symbiotic with:** Star Jelly Cyanobacterium (*Nostoc commune*) — Cyanobacteria fix nitrogen, benefiting the moss.

## Traits

- [Nonvascular](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nonvascular): This trait characterizes plants lacking specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)
- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Enjoy looking at haircap moss but avoid picking or stepping on it to protect its delicate nature.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Haircap Moss?

Compare growth form, branching, tiny leaves and any spore capsules. Mosses, liverworts and lichens can share a spot but are very different organisms. Moss Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Haircap Moss?

5-30 cm

### How wide does Haircap Moss spread?

10-50 cm

### Is Haircap Moss edible?

No

### Is Haircap Moss toxic?

None

### What is Haircap Moss's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Haircap Moss pollinated?

Wind

### Where is Haircap Moss usually found?

Forests, Wetlands

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Haircap Moss: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/haircap-moss)