Lundmosegård Planter.

Sphagnum.

The genus Sphagnum is an independent group of mosses that branched off from other mosses between 129 and 319 million years ago. Today, approximately 400 species are recognized, depending on how one defines the species concept. These species are distributed worldwide but are particularly common in cooler regions, both in the north and south, as well as in mountainous areas.

Peat mosses have the ability to acidify aquatic environments through their growth, thereby creating a unique environment where organic material decomposes very slowly. In Denmark, for example, we know of the concept of "Bog People" – human remains that were sacrificed to the bog thousands of years ago. In the acidic environment, their skin and flesh have been preserved on the bones.

For peat moss, growth means that the lower parts of their stems die as they move far enough away from the light, but these parts do not decompose. This allows the organic material produced by the moss during growth to be stored rather than broken down. As a result, these mosses act as massive CO2 reservoirs on a global scale, playing a crucial role in maintaining our planet’s CO2 balance.

Sphagnum is characterized by its ability to retain large amounts of water in both its living and dead cells – up to 26 times its dry weight. The fact that dead cells contribute to the population's water balance enables large areas of peat moss to create their own environments. These environments, in turn, provide habitats for a wide variety of plants and animals, often species that are vulnerable and thrive only under these specific conditions.