Your moss arrives dry, and that is how it keeps until your date.
Moss dries out to survive drought, staying dormant for months and in some species years, so it can arrive well before your date and simply be stored. Mist it as you set up and full green color returns within minutes. To hold that through the event, mist lightly again as needed and keep it out of direct heat. Mist, do not soak: soaked moss marks linen, and letting it dry between mistings is what stops mold. Only tan and brittle moss is a concern.
Cut to order for styling, installations and displays, and able to arrive well before your date.
Live moss by the square foot, for styling, installations and table settings. Cut to order at our Pennsylvania facility. It ships dry and dormant, not dead, greening up within minutes of watering. The events guide sizes runners, centerpieces and displays — with one-click add to cart.
Events & Decor
Events & Decor
Events & Decor
Events & Decor
Live moss table runners, centerpieces and displays
Almost every moss table runner sold is preserved, dyed or plastic. This is not. Everything here is living moss, cut to order and shipped dormant, which means it has real depth and texture rather than the flat pile of a mat, it smells like a forest floor, and when the event is over you can plant it instead of throwing it away.
How much to order
Work in tables, then convert. A 12 inch runner down an 8 ft table is 8 sq ft; the same runner on a 6 ft table is 6 sq ft, and a wider 14 inch run on an 8 ft table is about 9 sq ft. A centerpiece cluster is roughly 1 sq ft per table, which is why centerpieces are the usual answer when full runners come out over budget: nineteen tables is about 152 sq ft as runners, or about 19 sq ft as centerpieces. Moss tears and cuts to shape, so order slightly over rather than piecing out a shortfall on the morning.
Size your event order
Tables, runner dimensions or display area in — the cheapest event-grade split out, added to your cart.
Order early, hold it, mist it on the day
This is the part that makes live moss easier than it sounds. It ships dry and dormant, so it does not need to arrive on the day and it will not wilt while it waits. Take delivery well ahead, keep it cool and dry with some airflow and out of direct sun, and mist it into full color as you set up. Fresh flowers give you a two or three day window; dormant moss gives you weeks.
On the day
Mist rather than soak. Moss looks best a few minutes after watering, once the color has come up but the surface is not wet enough to mark linen or timber. Put a liner under it on polished surfaces, keep it away from direct heat, and keep cleaners and aerosols off it entirely.
Live, preserved or artificial?
Live moss for anything you want to look and smell like a real plant, and for anyone who would rather not bin a decoration. Preserved moss is a separate, non-living product: stabilized and often dyed, it needs no water and holds its color indefinitely, which makes it the right call for long build-outs, sealed displays or anywhere watering is impossible. Artificial moss mats are cheaper again and look it up close.
Buying Live Moss for Events: Frequently Asked Questions
How much moss do I need for a table runner?
Roughly 8 sq ft for a 12 inch runner down an 8 ft table, 6 sq ft on a 6 ft table, and about 9 sq ft if you run it 14 inches wide. Centerpiece clusters take around 1 sq ft per table, which is the usual way to bring a large room back within budget: nineteen tables is about 152 sq ft as full runners, or about 19 sq ft as centerpieces. The events calculator does the math and the cart in one pass.
How far in advance should I order for a wedding?
Order well ahead rather than close to the date. Moss ships dry and dormant, so unlike flowers it holds for weeks rather than days. Keep it cool, dry, out of direct sun and with some airflow, then mist it into color as you set up. Orders are cut to order and typically ship within 5 to 7 business days, a day or two longer between May and August.
Is this real live moss, or preserved?
Live. It is not preserved, not dyed and not artificial. Most moss runners sold for events are one of those three, which is why they are cheaper and why they look flat up close. Live moss keeps its depth and texture, and it can be planted out afterwards.
Will it look green on the day?
Yes. Mist it as you set up and full color and texture return within minutes. Mist lightly again if the room is warm, and do not soak it, because wet moss marks linen and timber. Only tan and brittle moss is a real concern.
Can I reuse or plant the moss after the event?
Yes, and it is the main reason to choose live over preserved. Lay it on shaded ground or into a planter, brown side down, tuck it tight so there are no air pockets, and water it in. It will carry on growing rather than going in a bin bag.
Afterwards, plant it rather than bin it.
The moss from your event is still a living plant, which is the one thing a preserved or artificial runner can never be. Lay it on shaded ground or into a planter, brown side down, tuck it tight so there are no air pockets, and water it in. One installation is usually enough to start a shaded patch.
For styling ideas, worked examples and installation guidance, see live and preserved moss for events and decor.