Special? It's widespread around here - it's our normal soil. That was extreme during the 2011 extreme drought, but yes, it does that. It's TX black gumbo clay. You'll find about the same stuff in parts of Montana and, believe it or not, Hawaii. Nearer the coast where humidity is higher the cracking isn't quite as severe, but it still will get impressive in the drought periods. When it's wet it swells enough to be self-sealing. Rice farmers love that. Building on it is a bit tricky. To dig it you want it moist and plastic, then you take it out in slices working near vertically using a rice shovel. The funny thing about our coastal area is that soil like that is the widespread stuff. But there are sizable pockets of very clean sand. It seems there is a commercial sand pit about every 10-20 miles, and in those pits there is no sign of that clay. There was one ~ 60 acres in size being worked for years about 5 miles from me. About 10 years ago the remains of a Columbian mammoth were found in the pit.

Oh my. What is a passionate rose lover like you doing in that glacial hell hole? Reading about your endeavors has exhausted me and I haven't even lifted a shovel. I admire your grit and determination, but would love to see you rewarded with thousands of blooms on your rose bushes for all your hard work. I bet they could use engineers in zones 7 to 10!

Hey, Lee! Sorry for the late reply....I only stop by this Forum every few days or so. Anyhow, you'll have to forgive me but I know very little about moss species. I certainly love moss-habitats, though. As to your question regarding moss companions, I must recommend ferns! Since we are in a similar zone (7/8), I imagine that some of my fern species would work well for you, provided that these ferns are available. My favorite fern is Woodwardia fimbriata, the Giant Chainfern. Yes, it does consume a fair amount of water, but it is a fantastic plant that will help create a moist micro-climate in its immediate vicinity. As the name implies, this fern is a GIANT within four or five years. Three year-old plants are typically three feet tall by three feet wide. Under perfect conditions, Chainferns can grow to nine feet!!! (More often, six feet by six feet). So, if you have a big focal point, you might consider Woodwardia fimbriata. My next two suggestions are drought-tolerant ferns, which do quite well for me in northern California. Western sword fern, Polystichum munitum, is excellent for most applications. It grows into a nice, three by three foot mound, with attractive fronds most of the year. It will look ratty for a time, while the old fronds dry up and the new fronds unfurl. I have MANY sword ferns in my yard - I rely on them to fill spaces where other more sensitive plants might fail. The second drought-tolerant fern I recommend is known as Wood fern, or Dryopteris. I'm not sure of the exact species, but these grow superbly in dry oak woods (thus, wood fern, *dryops* meaning 'oak'). This fern is lighter green in color than the sword fern, and the fronds are more delicate. Generally, this fern only grows to about two to three feet. I grow them along the edge of the lawn, staggered with sword ferns, and as focal-pieces beside mossy oak-trunks/stumps or nice rocks. I also have several staged beneath redwoods and birches. I have about twenty of them, I'd guess (last time I went out to count, I was side-tracked by something or the other). In direct sunlight, they might stay rather compact for the first few years. To counter this, you might consider growing them in partial shade until they've sized up - either in-ground, or in containers. There are TONS of Dryopteris species, so you'll have to search around. I think mine *might be* Dryopteris spinulosa, but I could be wrong. Lastly, I'll recommend a fern that is new to me: the Alaskan fern, Polystichum setiferum. While this fern looks incredibly feathery and delicate, it is quite hardy....down to zone 5, I think. I have one in a container on my front deck, where it receives only post-noon sunlight. Mine has fronds approximately two feet long. In the summer, it is protected from direct sunlight by a large maple tree. I still haven't found the right place for it in the yard. I'll probably buy several of them this spring, as they are incredibly attractive. Josh

I think these are lichens, and they are NOT related to moss nor do they cause harm to the tree. I was going to look up how to kill them, but after reading quite a few articles on lichens, I was so fascinated that I could not bring myself to research that part. My son did a research paper on lichens when he was in elementary school, but I only took the photos so didn't learn from his adventure. I did learn that lichens puff out after rains, so we timed our photo session for maximum size. You may want to research lichens and then decide how to handle these interesting growths.