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Aspen Bristle-moss

Nyholmiella gymnostoma

Close up of the detailed Aspen Bristle-moss growing on Aspen tree bark

As the name suggests, Aspen Bristle-moss is an Aspen Populus tremula specialist, it grows exclusively on Aspen tree bark. While you may see Aspen trees occasionally across the country, Aspen dominated woodland with a range of young and older trees is very rare. These sites provide a home for this and other rare species of epiphyte (species which grow on the surface of other plants).

Where it grows

Aspen Bristle-moss is only known to grow at three sites in the entire UK. All three sites are in and around the Cairngorms in Scotland.

Close up image of the beautiful bright green Aspen Bristle-moss growing out of grey coloured tree bark

Best Time to See it

Aspen Bristle-moss can be spotted all throughout the year. Though given that it only grows at three sites, it is a particularly tricky one to find.

Mosses and liches which grow as epiphytes are often easiest to spot in winter months as they remain green all year round, are often fresher and brighter when wet, and are not obscured by summer vegetation. 

Something You Might Not Know

This beautiful, tiny moss was believed to be extinct in the UK in 2000, but a lucky find in 2003 sparked a drive to hunt for it again. It was quickly discovered at three new sites, but no further patches have been found since.

A new Plantlife project looking at this and other species of rare Aspen epiphyte will investigate whether these often overlooked species are truly as rare as they seem, or just under-recorded.

Photos taken by Gus Routledge

Other Species

Aspen Bristle-moss
Close up of the detailed Aspen Bristle-moss growing on Aspen tree bark

Aspen Bristle-moss

One-flowered Wintergreen
Close up of a delicate One-flowered Wintergreen flower. The five white petals stand out against the forest floor.

One-flowered Wintergreen

How to identify:

Annual/Perennial/BiennialEvergreen
Height15m
Flower typeWhite with 4 petals
LeavesThick, spiny and shiny
StemsGrey smooth bark with green branches

 

A Holly tree with dark shiny leaves and clusters of red berries, covered in snow in the winter cold

How to Spot

Holly can grow very tall, up to 15m. It’s an evergreen tree so stays in leaf all year round, with sharp, spiny leaves that are thick, glossy and dark green in colour. You can see it flowering between May and August with small white flowers, each with four petals. In winter it fruits with shiny red berries.

Where to Spot

Holly is a native plant that can be found all over the British Isles as well as western and central Europe. It prefers to grow in hedgerows, scrubland, woodlands and wooded pastures, and prefers acidic soils.

Holly in Folklore

Holly is a common decoration in our homes around the festive season and was in fact thought to be lucky by many cultures. It was believed that Holly could bring you luck, protection and improve your fortunes. However there is also bad luck associated with Holly. It’s believed to be bad luck if you cut down a whole Holly tree.

There’s many myths and legends associated with Holly that span across many countries, cultures and religions. One Christian-based tale suggests that the Holly once had white berries, but when Jesus was on the cross, his blood dripped onto the plants and stained the berries red forever.

Perhaps the most famous folklore is that of the Holly King and the Oak King, in which many iterations, the two are brothers. The story goes that the Oak King was the ruler of the summer months, while the Holly King was the lord of the winter.

The telling of the story varies, but it is generally believed that on the equinoxes of autumn and spring an epic battle begins. The winner is declared by the signs of the season. When spring begins to bloom, the Oak King has taken the crown. He rules throughout summer, but gets weaker after the summer solstice. By the time the autumn equinox approaches, the Holly King makes his move and the fight begins again. The changing leaves signal the Holly King has indeed won the fight and becomes lord throughout the winter, until the cycle starts again.

 

 

Other Species

Aspen Bristle-moss
Close up of the detailed Aspen Bristle-moss growing on Aspen tree bark

Aspen Bristle-moss

One-flowered Wintergreen
Close up of a delicate One-flowered Wintergreen flower. The five white petals stand out against the forest floor.

One-flowered Wintergreen

Fly Agaric

Amanita muscaria

How to identify Fly Agaric

CapRed or sometimes orange in colour with white spots, which are remnants of the protective veil. They can sometimes be washed away by the rain.
Cap diameter10cm-20 cm when mature
GillsBegin white but become a pale yellow over time. The gills are free from the stem
StemWhite stems around 10cm-25cm long
SporesWhite

 

 

Where to find them?

Fly Agaric can be found in woodlands and along woodland edges. They often reoccur in the same place over multiple years and are widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.

Did you know?

The name Fly Agaric refers to the fungus having been used as an insecticide.

Don’t mistake it with?

If the white spots wash off the Fly agaric cap, it can be mistaken for red Russula species such as the Beechwood sickener Russula nobilis. There are also other Amanita species which look similar to the Fly Agaric but lack the distinctive red cap (e.g. The Blusher, Amanita rubescens)

Other Species

Honey Fungus

Armillaria species

Months

Season

Colour

Habitat

Honey fungus, Armillaria mellea, photographed on a dead branch in a woodland. The pale creamy brown of the fungus stands out against bright green mosses that cover the branch

How to identify Armillaria mellea:

CapOchre-brown, usually darker towards the centre, and covered with fine brown scales
Cap diameter4cm – 10cm
GillsWhite, darkening with age. Often partially covered by a thin white membrane or “veil”
StemSimilar in colour to the cap, sometimes bulbuous towards the base. Will often have a residual white ring around the stem from the formation of the “veil”
SporesWhite

 

About the Honey Fungus

The term Honey fungus actually refers to several closely related species, all within the Armillaria group. The two most common Honey fungus species are Armillaria mellea and Armillaria gallica, however there are a total of seven Honey fungus species found in the UK. These fungi are often well known by gardeners, as they can cause severe disease in trees and shrubs. 

As well as producing fruit bodies, Honey fungus forms distinctive bootlace-like structures called “rhizomorphs”. The tough leathery rhizomorphs are formed of bunches of fungal hyphae (root-like threads), and can commonly be seen underneath the bark of trees which have been infected with Honey fungus. Rhizomorphs vary from pale yellow and red, becoming brown or even black as they age. 

Where to find them?

Honey fungus grows in dense clusters on dead or dying wood, and can be found in woodlands, gardens, and parks. 

Don’t mistake it with

The different species of Honey fungus can be easily confused with each other. 

Did you know?

Armillaria mellea are bioluminescent, their gills glow in the dark! The glow from Honey fungus is very weak however, and is usually too faint to be seen by the naked eye in a woodland environment. 

Other Species

Amethyst deceiver

Laccaria amethystina

Months

Season

Colour

Habitat

Two fungi growing next to eachother on the forest floor, a bright purple Amethyst Deceiver leans over the top of a creamy coloured Russula sp

How to identify:

CapDeep purple, fading to lilac and sometimes white in dry weather
Size2cm – 7cm
GillsWidely spaced, and similar in colour to the cap
Stem5mm – 10mm in diameter and 5cm – 10cm tallIt is hollow, tough and fibrous, often twisted and sometimes flattened; deep purple at first, but becoming paler as the caps fade
SporesWhite

 

Where to find them?

Often occurring in large, crowded groups and usually found growing amongst leaf litter in coniferous or deciduous woods, commonly with Beech, Silver Birch or Oak.   

Don’t mistake it with

  • Older specimens with their pale caps are easily mistaken for the Deceiver Laccaria laccata, but the Amethyst Deceiver can be distinguished by the purple colouring that remains on the gills and the stipe
  • The Lilac Bonnet Mycena pura is another purple-lilac tinged mushroom, but has pale gills, more of a pink appearance, and the stem is not fibrous
  • The Lilac Fibrecap Inocybe geophylla var. lilacina is also similar, but is paler overall and does not have the purpley gills

Did you know?

The name ‘amethyst’ refers to the purple colouring of the young mushrooms and Laccaria means ‘lacquered’, referring to the shiny appearance of the fresh caps. 

Other Species

Chicken of the woods

Laetiporus sulphureus

Chicken of the Woods

How to identify:

BracketsThe fungus is comprised of several  overlapping brackets 
GillsThis bracket fungus does not have gills  
StemIt has no stem
FleshThick yellow-orange flesh which darkens with age. The underside of the brackets have yellow pores, which is the spore-forming surface of the fungus  
SporesWhite

 

Where to find them?

This fungus is a common find in woodlands across the UK. They are found mainly on deciduous trees, for example oak, sweet chestnut and beech. Often they are quite high up on the tree trunk, so its worth casting your eyes upwards!  

Did you know?

The flesh of this bracket fungus has a texture similar to cooked chicken, hence the common name!  

Don’t mistake it with…

The Giant polypore (Meripilus gigantus) can form similar bracket structures. However, the underside of Giant polypore turns black when damaged, which cannot be seen in Chicken of the Woods. 

Other Species

King Alfred’s cakes

Daldinia concentrica

How to identify:

CapNo cap, instead forms round shiny balls
Size2 – 8 cms 
GillsNo gills
StemNo stem
FleshStarts off reddish-brown and turns black. The flesh becomes brittle and charcoal like with age, and when cut in half, reveals distinctive concentric circles 
SporesBlack

 

Where to find them?

Find this fungus growing on dead or dying wood, particularly Ash and Beech.

Don’t mistake it with

There are many other fungi which produce tough black crusts on deadwood, however most of these produce much smaller fruit bodies than King Alfred’s Cakes.    

Did you know?

The common name of this fungus refers to its appearance resembling burnt cakes! As the story goes, a woman giving shelter to Alfred asked him to watch her cakes cooking. He let the cakes burn, and tried to hide the evidence by scattering them in the woodland.  

This fungus also makes a great firelighter! The fruit bodies can smoulder for a long time when lit, so may also have been used to transport a flame when on the move.  

 

 

Other Species

Sulphur tuft

Hypholoma fasciculare

Months

Season

Colour

Habitat

Bright Sulphur tuft fungus under a tree in autumn

How to identify:

CapYellow-orange, often with a darker centre 
Cap Diameter2cm – 7cm
GillsYellow, becoming sulphurous-green to black as the fruit body ages 
Stem Yellow, darker towards the base 
FleshCream to yellow
SporesBrown 

 

Where to find them?

This fungus grows in dense clusters on dead or dying wood, and can be found on deciduous or conifer trees.  

Don’t mistake it with

The Brick Tuft (Hypholoma lateritium) is very similar, but typically has a darker reddish cap, and its gills are more yellow rather than the green-ish tinge of Sulphur tuft gills. 

Did you know?

Sulphur tufts are bioluminescent, that is they glow in the dark! They don’t glow strongly, so the effect is best seen using a long camera exposure, or by shining the fruit bodies with a UV light.  

 

 

Other Species

How to identify:

Annual/Perennial/BiennialPerennial
Height90cm
Flower typeRounded flower spikes
LeavesHairy, oval and toothed
StemsSingle or double stemmed, hairy

 

A collection of Water Mint growing by a woodland stream, pretty purple flowers stand out against the green leaves

How to Spot

Water Mint can grow up to 90cm tall. It has pretty, pale purple flower heads and hairy leaves and stems. The leaves can be between 2cm and 6cm and grow in whorls around the stem.

Peppermint shares a resemblance, but has darker flowers, leaves and often has a purple stem.

Where to Spot

This pretty, aromatic plant is common all over the UK. You can find it growing in wet meadows, fens and marshes, streams, ponds, riversides and damp woodlands.

Things you might not know

It is said that Water Mints pleasant scent was used during the medieval era, to make their dining halls smell fresh.

Reportedly the plants were laid on the floor so that guests would step on them upon entering, and release the sweet smell of mint.

Other Species

Bluebell
Bluebell close-up.

Bluebell

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Bugle
A close up of a blue bugle plant.

Bugle

Ajuga reptans

Cowslip
Cowslip Close Up.

Cowslip

Primula Veris

Bracken

Pteridium aquilinum

Close up look at Bracken

How to spot

Bracken is the most common fern in the UK. A long-lived extensively spreading plant, it can grow up to 2.5m.

It has long fronds with pinnate leaves, which means they have one long stem in the centre with small leaves coming off.

This species, unlike other fern species, dies back in the winter, with it’s leaves turning brown. In the spring Bracken fronds appear tightly curled and slowly unravel.

Where to spot

Bracken is a common site all around the UK – but it’s not just in the British Isles that it can be seen, this species is found on every continent except Antarctica.

Here in the British Isles, it can be found in moorlands, woodlands, heathlands, and even pastures and abandoned agricultural land.

 

The tops of Bracken plants against a dark background

Things you might not know

Bracken has fascinating folklore and can be linked to a number of different cultures and religions.

One of the most interesting mythologies around this species is that it was said to hold the power to turn people invisible! Bracken reproduces using tiny spores rather than seeds. The story goes that holding the spores of bracken could make you as invisible as they were.

Other Species

Bluebell
Bluebell close-up.

Bluebell

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Bugle
A close up of a blue bugle plant.

Bugle

Ajuga reptans

Cowslip
Cowslip Close Up.

Cowslip

Primula Veris