Kokedama: The Art Of Growing Plants In Moss

There’s something a little magical about a kokedama. A plant growing from a ball of moss, with its roots tucked inside and its leaves spilling out in every direction, feels almost like a tiny piece of the forest that somehow found its way indoors. They’re unusual, a little whimsical and wonderfully imperfect.

What Is Kokedama?

Kokedama is a Japanese gardening technique where a plant is grown in a ball of soil that is wrapped in moss. There’s no pot involved, which is part of what makes them so interesting. You can place the moss ball on a little dish or shelf, or hang it up so that the plant appears to be floating.

I love kokedama because they make plants feel a little less predictable. We’re so used to seeing plants in pots that it’s easy to forget that a pot is really just there to contain the soil. With kokedama, the soil and moss become part of the plant display, and you get to see a much more natural-looking version of it.

Where did kokedama come from?

Kokedama comes from Japan and is connected to older Japanese gardening traditions, including bonsai and a style of growing plants known as nearai. The exact form of kokedama that we see today developed more recently, but the idea of growing and displaying plants in a ball of soil has been around for much longer.

The word kokedama translates to “moss ball” in Japanese, which is pretty much exactly what it is.

”koke” = “moss”

”dama” = “ball”

There’s something quite appealing about that simplicity. You don’t need a fancy planter or a complicated setup. Just a plant, soil, moss and something to hold it all together.

What plants can you grow in kokedama?

Trailing plants are especially nice because they can eventually spill over the sides of the moss ball. A Hoya carnosa kokedama, for example, can look beautiful once the vines start growing downwards.

This is probably the most important thing to get right.

Not every plant is going to enjoy being grown as a kokedama. Plants that like their soil to dry out completely between waterings aren’t usually the best choice because the moss ball works best when it can retain some moisture.

Some plants that work particularly well include:

Personally, I love using cascading plants like Hoya, Philodendron and Pothos for kokedama. There’s something about watching the stems gradually spill over the moss ball that makes the whole arrangement feel a little wild and whimsical. As the plant grows, the vines naturally fall and twist around the kokedama, creating movement and making it feel more like a little piece of living artwork than a traditional potted plant.

The important thing is to choose the plant based on where you’re going to keep it. The kokedama doesn’t change the plant’s basic requirements (a Hoya is still going to want different conditions from a fern).

How do you care for a kokedama?

Kokedama care is actually quite straightforward once you get used to the fact that you’re not watering a normal pot.

Watering

Instead of pouring water into the top of the pot, you soak the entire moss ball.

When the kokedama starts feeling noticeably lighter, place it in a bowl or container of room-temperature water. Let the moss ball absorb the water for around 10–20 minutes, or until it feels thoroughly wet.

Then take it out and let it drain properly before putting it back where it lives.

I wouldn’t recommend watering according to a strict schedule. How often your kokedama needs water will depend on the plant, the temperature, humidity and how much light it receives.

The easiest thing is simply to get used to how heavy it feels when it’s well watered. Once it becomes noticeably lighter, it’s probably time for another soak.

DON’T leave it sitting in water. This is important. Although the moss ball needs to be thoroughly wet, you don’t want it sitting in water all the time. The roots still need oxygen, and constantly saturated soil can eventually lead to root rot.

Soak it, drain it and then put it back on display.

How much light does a kokedama need?

There isn’t one answer to this because it depends entirely on the plant you’ve chosen.

A fern might be happy somewhere with bright indirect light, while a Hoya will generally want a much brighter position.

So rather than asking, “Where should I put my kokedama?”, ask “Where would this particular plant be happy?”

That’s the spot your kokedama should go.

Does kokedama need high humidity?

Most kokedama appreciate a reasonably humid environment, particularly because the moss can dry out fairly quickly in very dry air.

Bathrooms can work well if they have enough natural light, and grouping several plants together can also create a slightly more humid environment around them.

If your home is particularly dry, a humidifier can help.

You don’t need to constantly mist the moss, though. Misting isn’t a replacement for properly soaking the root ball.

What happens when the moss dries out?

The moss may change colour or become a little less lush over time. This is completely normal, especially indoors.

If keeping the moss green is important to you, try to keep the kokedama somewhere humid and away from harsh direct sunlight.

But I actually quite like the way an older kokedama starts to look a little weathered. It gives it character.

Does a kokedama need fertiliser?

Yes, eventually.

Because there’s only a relatively small amount of soil around the roots, the available nutrients will eventually be used up.

During the growing season, you can add a small amount of diluted liquid fertiliser to the water when you soak the kokedama.

However, there is one important thing to keep in mind: live moss can be sensitive to fertilizer, particularly when it is applied in concentrated amounts. Because moss absorbs water and nutrients directly across its surface rather than through a traditional root system, excess fertilizer can cause damage and may affect that lush green appearance we love. (BotaniBec⁠)

If you want to keep the moss looking its best, I’d recommend avoiding direct application of strong liquid fertilisers to the moss. Instead, you can incorporate a slow-release fertiliser into the soil or binding substrate when making the kokedama, allowing the plant to access nutrients gradually. Alternatively, a very diluted liquid fertiliser can be added to the soaking water occasionally, rather than applied directly to the moss. (Illinois Extension⁠)

It’s better to use a weaker solution than to overdo it. There isn’t much soil in a kokedama to buffer excess fertiliser.

What happens when the plant outgrows its kokedama?

The plant is still going to grow, even though it’s living in a moss ball. Eventually, the roots may fill the available space and the plant may simply become too large for its kokedama.

When this happens, you can make a larger moss ball around the roots, or you can move the plant into a normal pot. And there’s nothing wrong with doing that.

Kokedama doesn’t have to be a permanent way of growing a plant. You can enjoy it for a few years and then decide that your plant needs more room.

How to style kokedama

This is probably my favourite part. Because there isn’t a pot, you have quite a bit more freedom with how you display the plant.

Put it on a dish

A simple ceramic, stone or terracotta dish underneath a kokedama can be enough. The dish gives the moss ball somewhere to sit and catches any excess water, without competing with the plant. This works particularly well on shelves, consoles, coffee tables and bedside tables.

Hang it up

Hanging kokedama is probably the most recognisable way to display them.

A suspended moss ball with a trailing plant growing down from it can look really beautiful, particularly when you hang a few at different heights.

Just remember that a freshly watered kokedama can be surprisingly heavy, so whatever you’re using to hang it needs to be secure.

Use them to add texture

One of the reasons I like kokedama in interiors is that they bring in a different kind of texture.

You’ve got the softness of the foliage, the roughness of the moss and usually some sort of natural string or cord holding everything together.

They look particularly good against harder materials like concrete, stone, glass and metal.

Don’t over-style them

I think kokedama look best when you don’t try too hard.

The whole point is that they’re natural and a little bit imperfect, so you don’t necessarily need to surround them with lots of decorative objects.

One beautiful kokedama on a shelf can be enough.

Or group a few together and let the plants themselves create the display.

Why I love kokedama

For me, the appeal of kokedama isn’t really that they’re an unusual alternative to a plant pot.

It’s that they make you look at the plant differently.

You notice the moss. You notice the shape of the soil ball. You see the stems emerging from it and, as the plant grows, the whole thing changes shape.

There’s also something quite satisfying about the fact that the container isn’t separate from the plant. The soil, moss and plant all become one little living arrangement.

And maybe that’s why kokedama have stuck around. They’re simple, practical and beautiful without needing to be perfect.