Sparrowhawk Bushcraft

When out on a walk you may often see moss growing on the sides of a tree. The bark provides a great anchor for this plant to grow and it creates small micro wildernesses as it does.

There is a saying that it grows on the North facing side of a tree, however that’s not entirely true – the Natural Navigator (Tristan Gooley) has a great article on this topic that’s worth a read.

There are many different species of moss in the UK to list. This article from the woodland trust covers a few of these species:

• Common haircap (Polytrichum commune)
• Silky forklet moss (Dicranella heteromalla)
• Swan’s-neck thyme moss (Mnium hornum)
• Common tamarisk moss (Thuidium tamariscinum)
• Glittering wood moss (Hylocomium splendens)
• Springy turf moss (Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus)
• Sphagnum species