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Sphagnum peat moss refers to a peat whose composition is primarily made of decomposing or partially decomposed sphagnum moss. There are up to 350 species of sphagnum mosses within the family Sphagnaceae. Peat layers tend to be dark brown to black, while some living sphagnum growing on top of the peat will range from a light green to gray. Sphagnum also comes in shades of red and yellow so it is somewhat easy to tell the sphagnum from the peat.
In older times, peat was sometimes dried and burned as a fuel and it was used in some medicinal preparations. It also has a long-standing history of use in paddocks for the upkeep of animals. Today, most peat is sold either ground up, as a type of mulch additive, or in block where the consumer must crush it in their hands before spreading it. This type of peat is cleaned to remove heavier or unusable materials prior to packaging. According to Wendy Priesnitz in her article published in Natural Life Magazine, there is growing concern that peat is being mined rather than harvested. If peat is actually a mining process then the peat resources are limited to only the peat on the surface of the planet that already exist. This means the peat is not sustainable. Growing concern among environmentalists, noted by Priesnitz, centers on the implications of releasing peat carbons into the atmosphere and destroying unique peat habitats without the capacity to restore them.
Sphagnum moss grows quickly from almost any part of the plant that is exposed to the right conditions so propagating the moss is not the issue. Live moss and peat are not the same thing. Peat requires a process that may take a very long time. One of the unique features of sphagnum peat moss is its capacity to preserve what becomes trapped in its layers. Bog bodies have surfaced for centuries allowing modern man a glimpse of perfectly preserved human and animal remains where even the skin and hair are intact. Archaeologists have learned a great deal about the ancient peoples who lived near bogs due to this phenomenon.
