Hairy cap grows about 6 inches high and looks like little stars. A great companion for this moss is the Leucobryum glaucum , or pincushion moss. This species' fine texture and celadon color make it an excellent contrast for the darker, velvetlike carpet mosses. Mosses can provide not only a carpet or a cushion but a cloak for a rock, a skirt for a tree, or a creeping accent scarf for an old stone wall or log. Their decorative and functional uses in today's gardens seem limited only by the inhibitions of the gardener.
Mosses play many different roles around the world.
Moss prevents erosion, provides peace and solace in cemeteries, and lines the nests of orioles, thrushes, and ruby-crowned kinglets. The plant is so absorbent it was used as surgical dressing in both world wars. In earlier times and other cultures, mosses were sometimes attributed with mystical properties. Perhaps the most magical use of mosses is for the construction of tiny fairy houses, which mysteriously appear near the bases of trees in the forests of the world. These little houses, often but 3 inches tall, sometimes contain tiny furniture, carpeting, and dishes.