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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

Scarlet Elfcup

Sarcoscypha austriaca

Scarlet Elfcup

CapSmooth red cup or disc shape rather than a cap. The felty surface of the outside of the cup is paler than the inside.
Cup diameter2-7cm
GillsNone
StemShort stem, up to 3cm long, often covered by moss or leaf litter.
SporesWhite
Scarlet Elfcup

Where to find:

Scarlet Elfcup can be found in damp, shady areas, growing on dead hardwood on the woodland floor. They are often surrounded by moss and can be found throughout Britain and Ireland.

Did you know:

The name “elfcup” comes from folklore, where woodland elves were said to drink or bathe in water collecting in the cups of the fungus.

Don’t mistake it with…

The Scarlet Elfcup is often confused with the Ruby Elfcup Sarcoscypha coccinea. It requires a microscope to tell the difference between these two species!

Other Species

Jelly Ear

Auricularia auricula

Months

Colour

Habitat

Photograph shows a few Jelly Ear Fungi on tree, that is also covered in moss. The fungi are a dark brown in colour and almost perfectly resemble the shape of a human ear.

How to identify:

CapThis fungus does not have a cap and instead forms ear-shaped structures
Size3 – 10 cms 
GillsThis fungus does not have gills
StemNo stem
FleshBrown, with a distinctive jelly-like texture
SporesWhite

 

Where to find them?

This fungus is commonly found on dead or dying wood.  While it’s easiest to spot between January and April, it can be found all year round.

Don’t mistake it with

There are several other species of jelly fungi:

  • The Tripe fungus (Auricularia mesenterica) has a similar ear-like shape but is lighter in colour.
  • Witches butter (Exidia glandulosa) has a dark brown-black colour and texture but does not grow to form the ear-like structures seen in Jelly ears. 

Did you know?

This fungus was previously only found on Elder trees. Over the last 50 years, it has spread to a much wider range of host tree species, and can now be found on at least 16 species of tree!  

 

Other Species

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

Sweet Vernal Grass

Anthoxanthum oderatum

A close up photograph of Sweet Vernal Grass
Sweet Vernal Grass in the sunshine

How to spot

Thin, wiry grass with short leaves and a spike of flowers at the top of the stem. Where the leaf meets the stem, there is a fringe of hairs which look like eyelashes.

Where to spot

On old meadows and grasslands that are often rich in wild flowers. Here, it’s one of the first meadow grasses to come into flower in the spring.

Don’t mistake it with

Red Fescue – another grass with a narrow stem and pointy flower spikes, but which is bigger and lacks the scent.

Sweet Vernal grass

Things you might not know

It gives out a scent that is THE distinctive smell of a hay meadow – somewhere between vanilla and almond. Some people like to chew the grass to get the taste of the scent.

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

Rough Meadow Grass

Poa trivialis

Rough Meadow Grass in the field
Rough Meadow Grass at Allimore Green

How to spot it

At first glance, this looks like a typical grass. Quite tall, with its flat flowers hanging from the ends of short stalks, arranged along the stem like a Christmas tree. But rub your fingers along the fresh stem and you’ll notice it is slightly rough. Pull the leaf away from the stem a little bit and you’ll see a membrane-like triangle – known as a ligule, this is distinctly long and pointy on Rough Meadow Grass.

Where to spot it

Rough Meadow Grass not only grows in all kinds of grassland, but also in marshes, ditches, wastelands and woodland glades. It’s also found on lawns but struggles to survive if mown regularly.

Don’t mistake it with

Smooth Meadow Grass looks very similar but lacks the roughness of the stem, and its ligule, that membrane at the junction of the stem and leaf, is not pointy in shape.

Things you might not know

Just one plant of Rough Meadow Grass can produce up to 29,000 seeds, providing food for worms and ground beetles.

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

Perennial Rye Grass

Lolium perenne

Perennial Rye grass pictured at Cannon Hill Park

How To Spot

Its glossy dark green leaves shimmer as they waft in a breeze. Closer up, their spikey flowers cling close to the stem, barely overlapping. The stem turns a lovely burgundy red colour near the base of the stem.

For those with a keen eye, the leaves clasp around the stem with what look like a pair of hooked claws, known as an auricle.

Where to spot

Widespread across the UK, it’s particularly abundant in parklands, sports fields and freshly laid lawns. It is also the most commercially sown grass on farmland, cut a few times a year to provide winter food for cattle and sheep.

Don’t mistake it with

Couch Grass has spikey flowers that also cling close to the stem, but unlike Rye Grass, these overlap. Its leaves are grey-green and rather rough rather than the smooth feeling, dark and glossy leaves of Rye Grass.

Things you might not know

As Rye Grass grows fast and is eagerly eaten by livestock, it was the first grass in Britain to be sown commercially on farmland, probably more than 400 years ago. Modern varieties are bred to be able to tolerate trampling, mowing and heavy grazing.

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

Yorkshire Fog

Holcus lanatus

Close up of Yorkshire-fog
Dense Yorkshire Fog in a meadow

How To Spot

This is easy! It has a soft, tall, hairy stems – just run your fingers along it. No other grass feels like this. The bottom of its stem looks like pink stripey pyjamas – no other grass looks like this. There are pink flushes too in its long flower head which look beautiful when swaying in the wind.

Where to spot

The most widespread of all grasses in the UK, it’s found on all kinds of grasslands, from meadows to wastelands.  On lawns, it flowers a little bit later than other grasses during No Mow May.

Don’t mistake it with

Creeping soft-grass – its nearest relative is only hairy on its nodes, the lumpy bits along the stem that look like knees.

Yorkshire Fog pictured in the sunshine

Things you might not know

It can be a dominating grass as it produces huge amounts of seed which can germinate almost immediately, and buried seed remains viable for many years.

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

Cock’s-foot Grass

Dactylis glomerata

Close-up photos of Cock's-foot grass
Cock's-foot pictured at Cannon Hill Park

How To Spot

It’s one of the bigger lawn grasses which can grow over 1m. Its most distinguishing feature is its flattened lower stems which you can feel with your fingers as easily as you can see. Forming dense tussocks, it also has distinctive heavy-looking flower heads.

Where to spot

It’s found across the UK in all kinds of places but it’s most commonly found in meadows and roadsides. On lawns, it often grows on the lesser mown edges.

Don’t mistake it with

False oat grass – another tall, bulky grass which flowers slightly later.

Cock's-foot pictured at Pebble Mill

Things you might not know

Cock’s-foot grass is a surprisingly good plant for wildlife.

  • Honey bees gorge on its pollen
  • Caterpillars eat its leaves
  • Finches feed on its seed
  • Its tussocks provide safe places for nesting mammals and bees

 

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