Picture a vibrant green, nearly perfect sphere of something moss-like bopping around a clear water-filled corked container with pebbles at the base. Give it a cute name like Mossly Cyrus, Ryan Mossling or Mosstradamus and it will surely be your favorite new addition to your plant collection.
Meet Aegagropila linnaei, commonly known as Marimo moss ball. The term roughly translates to a bouncy ball that grows in water, aptly named in 1898 by a Japanese botanist. Interestingly, these “moss balls” aren’t moss at all. Technically, they aren’t even plants. Rather, they are a type of green algae belonging to Kingdom Protista (not Kingdom Plantae). Even though they are autotrophs and produce their own food through photosynthesis like plants, they lack a vascular system which is one of the reasons they are bumped into a different kingdom.
Marimo moss balls are native to cool water lakes in Japan, Iceland, Scotland and parts of northern Europe. They thrive in the low- to medium-light conditions of the lakes with gentle wave action, ensuring they move around so all parts of the ball get sunlight and photosynthesize. They grow slowly with rates about 0.2 inches per year. One of the largest ones was said to be found in Lake Akan Japan and was 37 inches in diameter, making it nearly 200 years old.
In Scotland, their name translates to lake goblins, not only because of their shape but also because they cluster together in large mounds of individual balls often clogging fishermen nets. These unique creatures have folklore stories from Iceland, Japan and Scotland that roughly tell the same tale as two star-crossed lovers from different social castes forbidden to wed. So instead of living a life apart, they dove into the lake and died together, their hearts transforming into moss balls forever floating together.
Moss balls have certainly stolen the hearts of the masses in Japan — so much so that they are now a Japanese national treasure, which prevents people from stealing them directly from lakes. Each year, a Native tribe near Lake Akan in Japan holds a festival just for these moss balls as they are revered for the luck and prosperity they bring to their people.
Marimo moss balls purchased today are not taken from sacred lakes but rather grown by cultivators. They are easy to care for, needing only fresh water every week or two (tap water is fine) and a swirl every few days that mimics the gentle rocking of lake waves.
It is fun for all ages to create a moss ball habitat. All you need is a clear glass container, add any rocks, crystals and fun trinkets, fill with water and then add your moss ball. Place it somewhere where it’s not in direct sunlight and with minimal care this lucky algal ball can be passed down for generations upgrading its container as it grows.
Toni Reale is the owner of Roadside Blooms, a unique flower, crystal, plant (and apparently now algae) shop in Park Circle in North Charleston. It specializes in weddings, events and everyday deliveries using American- and locally grown blooms. Online at roadsideblooms.com. 4491 Durant Ave. in the Park Circle area of North Charleston.
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