I get asked this more than anything else, usually some version of "wait, is that real?"

The answer is yes. And also, sort of. Let me explain, because it's my favorite thing to talk about.

It's real moss. It's just not alive anymore.

All the moss and greenery in my work are real, but preserved plants. They are no longer alive, but have been preserved to maintain their soft living feel and green color. They are preserved to remain looking and feeling alive for many years without any of the care required for living plants.

That's the whole trick. It grew somewhere. It was harvested. And then it was treated so that the thing you love about moss, the softness, the depth, that specific green, stays exactly where it is instead of drying out and crumbling.

Preserved is not dried, and it is definitely not fake

This is the distinction that matters most and the one almost nobody knows.

Dried moss is moss that lost its water. It goes brittle and brown and it crumbles when you touch it.

Artificial moss is plastic pretending. It has that waxy, uniform, slightly wrong look, because it never grew.

Preserved moss is real plant material treated with a glycerine solution. The glycerine takes the place of the water. The moss stays soft to the touch instead of going waxy or brittle, and it keeps its color.

If you put your hand on one of my pieces, it gives. That's how you know.

Where my moss comes from

I source all of my moss in the US, from sustainable moss farms in Florida and North Carolina.

That matters to me more than it probably should. I make work about loving the natural world. It would be a strange thing to make it out of material I couldn't trace.

The kinds I work with

Depending on the design I work with sheet, mood, pole and reindeer moss, along with preserved ferns and hanging amaranthus.

Each one does something different. Sheet moss lays flat and holds a surface. Mood moss comes in clumps and gives a piece its hills and valleys. Reindeer moss is the spongy one, and it comes in a range of greens that lets me build depth without adding a single thing that isn't moss. Pole moss adds the darker, deeper texture.

Faux accents like silk flowers and artificial succulents are available on request, and I'm always upfront about which parts of a piece are which.

It never needs water or sunlight. Ever.

Because all my work is created with preserved plants it requires absolutely NO water or sunlight.

In fact, it should never be exposed to any moisture at all, meaning the pieces are only created for indoor display and should not be hung in very humid environments such as a steamy bathroom.

As far as sunlight, prolonged UV rays can cause the color to fade over time (again, only indoors!) so it is best to avoid hanging your piece in a spot that is exposed to very intense direct sun.

So: no watering, no misting, no window required. Two things to avoid, steam and harsh direct sun.

Where it can live in your home

Anywhere indoors that stays dry and out of harsh sun.

This is the part people are usually surprised by. It doesn't need a window. Interior walls, hallways, stairwells, dark corners, the rooms that can't keep a real plant alive, those are all fine. That's most of the reason moss art exists.

The two spots to avoid are a bathroom that gets steamy, and anywhere that takes very intense direct sun.

How long it lasts

There are many people who say preserved moss and plants last FOREVER, does anything truly last forever?

The industry standards typically say preserved mosses last 7 to 10 years with no maintenance. However, everyone's spaces are different, so depending on your situation (if you have kids, pets, humidity, too much sun) you may need some repair or replacements before that time comes.

I'd rather tell you that honestly than sell you on forever.

Taking care of it

Almost nothing. That's the point.

Gentle dusting with compressed air or a soft brush, whenever it starts to look like it needs it. No water, no product, no plant food, no repotting.

Why I work in it at all

Most of us spend our lives indoors, apart from the natural world we say we love.

Preserved moss is the closest I've found to bringing a piece of it inside and having it stay. It's real, it's soft, it holds its color for years, and it asks nothing from you. You just get to live with it.

That's the whole idea.

If you want to see what's available right now, my ready-made pieces live in Moss Art Originals. If you have a wall in mind and want something made for it, the commission inquiry form is the place to start.