Pogonatum urnigerum

Urn Haircap Moss, Urn-bearing Hair Moss

A small, upright moss with wine-red stems and bluish-green leaves that shift to brown with age. Pogonatum urnigerum belongs to the haircap family (Polytrichaceae), a group known for unusually complex leaf structure — each leaf carries dozens of thin ridges called lamellae on its upper surface, which help regulate moisture loss. In the wild it colonises disturbed ground, sandy banks, and rock crevices from subarctic Alaska and Greenland through the mountains of Europe and Asia, often appearing where snow lingers late into the season. It does best in cool, humid conditions with indirect light and an acidic, well-draining substrate, making it a good fit for temperate closed terrariums kept below 20 °C.