13 Moss Companion Plants

Are you looking for plants that grow well with moss? Below is a list of thirteen moss companion plants you can use for your garden. I’ll start with my favorite plant that grows well with moss.

1. Azure Bluet (Houstonia Caerulea)

One of my favorite moss companion plants is Azure Bluets. They are also known as Quaker ladies or Bluets, and are part of the Rubiaceae family. The picture above shows Bluets together with Fern moss (also known as Thuidium Delicatulum).

2. Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium Niponicum)

Another plant that grows well with moss is the Japanese Painted Fern. The Latin name of this moss companion plant is Athyrium Niponicum. You can see it in the picture above growing together with Fern moss (also known as Thuidium Delicatulum).

3. Barrenwort (Epimedium)

Barrenworts are also known as bishop’s hat, horny goat weed, or fairy wings. They are of the family Berberidaceae and are great moss companion plants.

The two pictures above show a Barrenwort growing together with Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) and Sheet moss (Hypnum Imponens).

4. Lady Fern (Athyrium Filix-Femina)

Lady ferns are closely related to the Japanese Painted Fern that I mentioned before. This fern is of a light green color and turns a bit yellowish in fall. In the picture above it grows together with Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) and Baby Tooth Moss (Plagiomnium cuspidatum

5. Canada Wild Ginger (Asarum Canadense)

Canada wild ginger is also knows as Asarum Canadense and is a great moss companion plant. This plant is an is a herbaceous (vascular plants with no persistent woody stem above the ground). You can see it growing together with Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) in the picture above.

TIP: If you are looking for live moss for your garden, you can buy it here.

6. Hosta Plants

Hostas are a genus of plants and widely cultivated as shade-tolerant foliage plants. Therefore they go great together with moss since they thrive in shady areas of your garden.

In the picture above, you can see a Hosta as a companion plant to Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) and Bryoandersonia Moss (Bryoandersonia Illecebra).

7.  Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia Virginica)

Virginia Bluebells is also known as Mertensia Virginica and is another great moss companion. This plant with beautiful bell shaped, sky blue flowers, is native to North America.

In the picture above you can see it growing togeter with Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) and Sheet moss (Hypnum Imponens).

8. Liverwort (Hepatica)

Liverwort plants are bisexual flowers and can apear in pink, purple, blue, or white. They are also known as Hepatica plants and are native to Northern and Central Europe and Eastern America.

This plant has basal and leathery leaves which are usually three-lobed. You can see this pretty flower in the picture above together with Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum).

9. Lungwort (Pulmonaria Officinalis)

Lungworts have a few common names beside their Latin name Pulmonaria Officinalis. They are also known as Common Lungwort, Our Lady’s milk drops or Mary’s tears.

Their pointy leaves are green of color and have light patches. The flowers have five petals and are pink/red of color first before they turn purply/blue. You can a Lungwort in the picture above as a companion plant to Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum).

10. Coral Bell ‘Tapestry’ (Heuchera)

Coral bell plants (Heuchera) are known to be survive in the most shady parts of a garden. This plant grows very well together with mosses. You can see this native American plant above with with Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) and Sheet moss (Hypnum Imponens).

11. Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum Diphyllum)

The Celandine Poppy is a great moss companion and has the botanical name Stylophorum Diphyllum. You might also know this plant as Wood Poppy or Woodland Poppy.

You can see the Celandine Poppy as a companion plant to Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) in the picture above.

12. Mayapple (Podophyllum Peltatum)

The Mayapple (botanical name Podophyllum Peltatum) is sometimes called American mandrak, wild mandrake or ground lemon. You can find this plant acrosss Eastern United States and Southeastern Canada. They grow typically in woodlands and large colonies are derrived from one root.

Mayapple plants have stems that grow up to 11 to 16 inches and have umbrella-like leaves. In the picture above you can see this plant with Fern moss (Thuidium Delicatulum) and Bryoandersonia Moss (Bryoandersonia Illecebra).

13. Strawberry Geranium (Saxifraga Stolonifera)

The strawberry Geranium is the last moss companion plant of this list. Its botical name is Saxifraga Stolonifera and is a perennial flowering plant.

This moss companion plant is native to China, Korea and Japan but you can find it now all over the Northern Hemisphere. You can see it in the picture together with Bryoandersonia Moss (Bryoandersonia Illecebra) also a little, tiny sweet woodruff (Galium Odoratum).