I ended up buying two small marimo in a cute glass jar from Utsuwa Floral Design. Marimo are small green lake balls (moss balls) with a velvety appearance. Apparently, they are found only in the northern hemisphere, which might explain why I never heard about them when I lived in Japan. Marimo in Japanese roughly translates to "plant balls that live in water." Marimo last for a long time and require little care:
-Once a week, change half of the water and add fresh water (distilled water or filtered water)
-Indirect sunlight is best, but fluorescent light is also fine
My dad laughed when I first showed him my marimo. His brother and him used to throw slimy moss balls at each other from a fountain near where they lived when they were young. He thinks they're silly, but I think they're just great.
