Moss lives or dies by a few simple conditions. Answer these four questions about the place you have in mind and you will get an honest sense of how it is likely to do, and which sort of moss to reach for. Nothing is sent anywhere; it all works in your browser.
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What the checker is weighing up
Four things decide whether moss thrives, and the checker simply balances them. Light comes first: moss wants shade, and full sun for much of the day strips its moisture faster than it can take it up, so a bright, exposed spot is the hardest thing to work around. Moisture comes a close second, because a surface that stays reliably damp does half the work of establishing moss, while one that bakes dry between showers leaves it brown and dormant unless you water it. The surface itself matters too, since bare ground and porous stone hold a film of moisture and give rhizoids something to grip, whereas a vertical wall sheds water and needs a moisture-holding backing. Foot traffic is the last factor: moss tolerates the odd footstep once settled, but not the daily wear a grass path takes.
Common questions
Will moss grow in shade?
Yes, and deep shade is where it does best. Shade is a gift to moss, because it is exactly where grass and most plants give up and moss takes over. Sun, not shade, is the condition most likely to defeat it.
Does moss need sun to grow?
No. Moss does not need sun and in fact prefers to avoid it. Full sun for much of the day dries a moss out faster than it can take moisture up, so a shaded, damp position is far better than a sunny one.
Will moss grow on stone, paving or walls?
Yes, given shade and damp. On stone, brick or concrete the moss slurry method works best: blend moss with rainwater or buttermilk and paint it on in the shade. In paving joints, brush a little slurry into the gaps. A wall is the trickiest, needing a moisture-holding backing and patience, so it is worth reading the living moss walls guide first.
How long does moss take to establish?
In a good spot, with the right preparation and steady damp, moss should establish and begin to thicken within a season. In a workable but imperfect spot, expect a season or two for full cover. If the light or moisture is against it, it may never really take. There is more on this in how fast moss grows.
Whatever the verdict, the method is in the growing guide. For a lawn see how to make a moss lawn, and for the cushion-versus-carpet question, acrocarpous and pleurocarpous mosses.