Why does moss grow facing north

That's much more likely to happen on the sunnier side of a tree trunk than on the shadier side. The same rule applies to rocks, fallen logs, or anything else that mosses might grown on. If it has a sunny side and a shady side, the moss will mostly grow on the shady side.

In the northern hemisphere, that's usually the northern side, and in the southern hemisphere, it's usually the southern side. If you look closely enough, though, you'll see exceptions.

The texture of mosses is usually but not always! The moss leaves and their projections are so small, though, that they seem fuzzy to us. These projections are probably to help the moss cells deep inside the leaves to be as close as possible to external water sources. Why does moss only grow on the north side of trees?

Also why is its texture fuzzy? Answer 1: Your observation that moss only grows on the north side of trees tells me you haven't looked for moss near trees in the southern hemisphere. Answer 2: Good question! As mentioned before, things that face south receive the most sunlight which is necessary for plant growth.

If you are in the woods and see a patch of thick, luscious vegetation, it is probably on a southward facing slope. If you take notice of the bushes, you will see that they all have red berries, but certain bushes have some berries that are starting to ripen and turn black.

This is because those bushes face…you can probably guess at this point…south! Fruit bushes, trees, and vines that face south start to ripen earlier than the same plants that are facing the other directions. Using the stars to find directions can be a little tricky. Of course, there are always going to be variations in nature, and these methods are not as reliable as a compass.

But, observing and checking these things can help you notice patterns in the natural world. This rule, however, applies only in the Northern Hemisphere. So in Australia, moss grows comfortably on the shadier south side of trees. Moss is a primitive plant called a bryophyte. That means mosses can lose moisture extremely quickly, which is one of the reasons they grow only in cool and shady places, says Fong.

Fong recommends always using a compass.