Villa Saint Exupéry Gardens has Europe's Longest Eco Wall!

Villa Saint Exupéry Gardens hostel has the largest Eco Wall in Europe. The wall is made of ancient Sphagnum Moss shipped to Nice from Chile, South America. It is harvested in sustainable, eco-friendly plantations, and provides many ecological benefits to the local environment.

Measuring in at over 130 meters long around the Villa Gardens hostel, this living and breathing "Eco Wall" provides noise insulation, privacy and tranquillity for our guests to enjoy year round. Agriculturalists from around the world have come to Villa Saint Exupéry Gardens to see our wall. Come and see it for yourselves!

The moss, retained by a double wire-mesh fence, can hold up to 20 times its dry weight in water. It provides an extremely good and healthy base for plant growth, allowing us to grow hundreds of different types of plants in the wall. It also gives the local birdlife safety and refuge, nesting and well-being.

Some interesting facts about Sphagnum Moss:

• Sphagnum Moss is the living form of coal and grows in the swamplands of North America, Canada, New Zealand and South America.
• Sphagnum moss can purify polluted water by digesting the dissolved pollutants.
• Instead of roots Sphagnum moss has large dead cells in its stem and leaves that can hold 20 times its dry weight in water.
• Sphagnum moss is dead and alive at the same time. It is alive on the top but on the bottom, under the water, it is dead because there is so little light and it is even partially decayed.
• In the absence of water, sphagnum moss spores can remain dormant for decades. On watering, the spores are reactivated and the plant comes to life.
• It can reproduce in two ways: It either reproduces by forming capsules filled with spores which burst when dry, or by growing from broken off pieces of bigger plants.
• Sphagnum moss is an excellent base for plants to grow on: it is moist, aerated and produces essential nutrients for healthy plant growth.

If you would like more information on our "Eco Wall," please contact us.