Princess Pines

My "baby Christmas tree"

A few months ago Kevin and I took all the dogs up to Forbes State Park for a lovely winter hike. The scenery was beautiful, and we were walking along enjoying the fresh mountain air when we came across a small clearing. I was so excited to see hundreds of baby pine trees sprouting from the ground. I had been wanting to buy  a small evergreen to grow into a Christmas tree, but had not gotten around to it. Finding one in the wild was even better! Kevin picked two of them for me, and I planted them in cute little metal pots, eager to try out my green thumb skills.

That night, I was sitting on the couch admiring my little darlings, when I decided to google them; I wanted to make sure I was providing adequate lighting and water. I was very upset when I found out they were not baby pine trees, but actually a type of moss. They are nicknamed Princess Pines, but are not related to trees, and would never reach the grandiose height necessary for a future Christmas tree. Oh well, I think they look pretty darn cute in their pots, so I'm keeping them. So far moss is the only kind of plant I've managed to keep alive for more than a week, so I'm not complaining.