How to Get Moss in Minecraft (1.17+)

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Find moss blocks covering the floor and ceiling of lush caves, or buy two from a wandering trader for one emerald. Then use bone meal on a moss block to spread it across nearby stone and dirt.

What you need

Moss block x1 (lush caves or wandering trader)
Bone meal (to multiply it)
Hoe (fastest tool)

Step by step

Find a lush cave: look for an azalea tree on the surface - its roots mark a lush cave below, floored and roofed with moss blocks.
Mine moss with anything: it breaks instantly by hand, but a hoe is fastest - bring one to harvest stacks quickly.
Or trade for it: wandering traders sell 2 moss blocks for 1 emerald.
Spread it with bone meal: use bone meal on a moss block and moss converts convertible blocks in a 7x11x7 volume around it.
Harvest the spread: each bone meal on a flat field yields around 27 moss blocks on average.
Close the loop: compost the excess moss for bone meal - about 2.5 bone meal back per 27 moss, so a moss farm mostly feeds itself.
Watch for bonus plants: spread moss can sprout grass, moss carpet, azaleas (7.29%) and flowering azaleas (4.17%) - free decoration and saplings.
Craft with it: moss plus cobblestone or stone bricks makes their mossy variants, and 2 moss blocks craft into 3 moss carpets.

Java vs Bedrock

Moss spreading works the same in Java and Bedrock, though the exact column selection algorithm differs slightly - in Bedrock the source block can sit a few blocks above the center of the spread. Wandering trader pricing is the same on both.

Versions: Added in 1.17 Caves & Cliffs Part I (21w05a) and started generating naturally in lush caves in 21w10a. Also appears in trial chambers since 1.21, marking spawners that can summon slimes.

Frequently asked questions

Where do you find moss in Minecraft?

Lush caves - the underground biome under azalea trees - are covered in moss blocks on the floor and ceiling. Moss also generates in trial chambers, and wandering traders sell 2 blocks for 1 emerald.

How do you multiply moss in Minecraft?

Use bone meal on a moss block: it spreads moss over nearby stone, dirt and similar blocks with air above them. One bone meal yields around 27 moss blocks on a flat field, and composting the surplus almost refunds the bone meal.

What is moss used for in Minecraft?

Mossy cobblestone and mossy stone bricks, moss carpets, and decoration - plus bonemeal-spread moss can grow azalea and flowering azalea bushes. It is also the fastest way to turn a cave floor green.