Identification notes
This is one of those mosses that is rare with us but seemingly all over the place in upland parts of Europe. It’s highly sensitive to air pollution, which is thought to have caused a long decline in its former strongholds of Cumbria and SW England. However, it has been found in several new localities recently, suggesting the beginnings of a recovery.
Although it grows on the basic bark of various host trees, one of its favourites is Fraxinus excelsior (Ash) so it is newly vulnerable to loss in some areas as trees succumb to Ash die-back disease.
There is little Habrodon would be confused with on tree bark, although beware the creeping (sterile) shoots of Cryphaea heteromalla, which can look a little similar.
Read the Field Guide account
