Preserving Moss

Image by Kbiv3000 from Pixabay 

I am still learning to work with moss, including the best way to preserve it. 

With some mosses, especially the “old man’s beard” or “witch’s hair” (usnea lichen) we have simply let them dry naturally. Other mosses can be dried as well, and – according to the literature – are not dead but dormant and can be brought back to life. While I have dried some varieties of moss, I have not attempted to rejuvenate them. 

The first step in drying moss, after collecting it, is to clean it. You can put it in a sink of soapy water and gently wash away the dirt, pull out sticks and encourage bugs to leave. Rinse the moss and gently squeeze out excess water. Lay the moss on newspaper or paper towels to dry for several days. In this dried out, dormant state, it should last for years.

I know of two other ways to preserve moss, one I have tried and the other not (yet). With these methods the moss is soft, pliable and will last a long time, but cannot be brought back to life. Both make use of glycerin, a clear, sweet syrupy liquid made of various vegetable oils (palm, coconut, soybean) that is easy to find and inexpensive. Smaller bottles can be found in the drug store; I ordered a couple gallons off the internet. Glycerin is used in preserving flowers and leaves and I have used it to preserve fall leaves, salal (lemon leaf) leaves and scotch broom. If you add food coloring to your preservative mix you can colorize your leaves or stems as well, although that is also something I intend to do in the future, so have no personal experience.

Image by TanteTati from Pixabay

First, the glycerin/hot water method of preserving: I have used this method to preserve sphagnum moss. I would recommend a ratio of three parts water to one part glycerin, although I have seen recipes for one part glycerin to two parts water as well. Put the mixture in a large pot and heat it on the stove until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the moss, leaving it in the water for about an hour. You may have to weigh the moss down with a plate or brick to keep it submerged. When the mixture cools, take the moss out, gently squeeze to remove the excess solution and put the moss on paper towels to dry. It will be soft and will remain that way for months if not years.

The glycerin solution can be reused for your next batch of moss.

The second method, which I have not tried, adds methyl hydrate (methanol) – wood alcohol – to the glycerin. This is said to produce more reliable and long-lasting results than the water-glycerin method. 

The glycerin can be found in drug stores, the methyl hydrate in hardware stores. 

Mix two parts glycerin to one part methyl hydrate - no heating, just mix it together.  Add the moss and let it sit for about ten minutes, then remove the moss from the solution and lay it on paper towels for a few days. It will feel crunchy at first as the alcohol replaces the water in the moss, but then will soften and remain so.

Up next…what to make with your dried or preserved moss!

Margaret

P.S. Here's a good explanation of both types of glycerin moss preservation.