Spiky Bog-moss

Spiky Bog-moss, Sphagnum squarrosum, is a large, robust peat moss whose branch leaves spread outward at sharp angles like tiny stars, giving the plant its spiky appearance. It is pale to yellow-green in color, sometimes turning brownish in harsh alpine or arctic conditions, and forms loose carpets. Unlike many peat mosses that need strongly acidic conditions, it favors mineral-rich, moderately calcium-rich ground such as stream banks, fens, wet woodlands, and willow and birch stands, tolerating both waterlogged and periodically dry conditions. Its range spans the Northern Hemisphere from Canada and Alaska through the United States, across Europe, and into Russia and Japan, with an isolated outlying population recorded in southeastern Brazil.