Going to post some of my favourite cool houseplants here weekly as the weather has gotten properly miserable and dark around these parts so taking pictures of my plants is a great pick me up.

This here isn’t exactly a plant, but an algae.

This is Aegagropila linnaei, known as Marimo (moss ball, lake ball). In Finnish the name is ahdinpallero or palleroahdinparta, literal meanings: water gods ball and ball of water gods beard.

These guys grow in the Baltic sea for example, in depths of up to 8 meters. It’s a green algae that grows into sizable balls of densely packed algal filaments that radiate from the center. The balls do not have a kernel of any sort.

Here’s the ball after I gave it a bit of a rinse and changed its water, the surface is full of little air bubbles right now.

These keep their round shape in nature when the winds move the water and they toss and turn so different sides get exposed to light for photosynthesis. At home they need to be swirled around to maintain the shape. This guy here has gotten a little one sided because I haven’t changed its water that often.

    • StillNoLeftLeft [none/use name, she/her]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      It’s the cutests ball, I should give it a name. Garden stores sometimes have these so you might still get your green fuzzy friend too.

      The bottle definitely doesn’t get dirty. The instructions I was given said I should change the water weekly, but been doing it more like once every few months and I only do it, because I was told to. The water is always completely clear and the bottle clean. I should put it in a bigger bottle soon, because it won’t fit out of the bottle mouth much longer.

        • StillNoLeftLeft [none/use name, she/her]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          I’m not entirely sure just yet, been keeping it under my spiderfarmer sf300 led growlights since summer and it still seems fine. But then I read they live as deep as 8meters under surface and moved it away from the direct light to see how it does, worried the grow light is too much. But I don’t know yet as I just moved it. The light didn’t scorch it yet though.

          I know people keep these in aquariums and they tend to have moderate plant lights too so I assume those types of lights are ok. I found this care guide:

          Light Intensity: The “Less is More” Philosophy

          The most important rule for marimo lighting is to provide low to medium-low indirect light. Direct sunlight is their number one enemy and will quickly scorch them, causing brown “sunburn” spots.

          So, what does “low indirect light” look like in your home?

          A spot in a room that gets plenty of ambient light, but is several feet away from any window.

          The corner of an aquarium, shaded by driftwood, rocks, or taller plants.

          Under a standard, low-power LED aquarium light. You don’t need a high-tech, plant-growing light for these guys.

          Even a simple desk lamp with a low-wattage bulb placed a few feet away can work for a marimo in a jar.