Wednesday, October 17, 2012

MossTiles

MOSStiles bring the outdoors in- without the mess!  The MOSStile is made of an ecologic resin base imbedded with natural moss for use indoors. No toxic substances are used in the making of the tile and no chemicals or fertilizers are needed to maintain them once they are installed. Maintenance is practically non-existent and no watering (except for an occasional misting) is necessary. The moss pulls all the nourishment it needs from an environment of at least 50% humidity. MOSStiles should not be placed in direct sunlight as diffuse light or even no light is best for them. And no fertilizer is required. These modular living tiles come in 12 different shades.


Just imagine the beautiful indoor vertical gardens you can create with these tiles: 




And why is there always a downside to new ideas? Because having a real plant indoor without the hassle of watering is really way too good to be true. It turns out that these are not made from moss at all, but lichens - specifically reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina):


This slow-growing lichen is harvested in Scandinavia, "stabilized" in a salt solution, glued onto tiles with a resin, then dyed one of twelve different colors. Hence, it is not a plant anymore. It might as well be made out of plastic. All the misting does is keeping them from drying out and crumbling to pieces. Even worse, reindeer moss is a major food source for caribou and other large ruminants. It's so slow growing that it's a threatened (and protected) species in some parts of the world.

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