Magical Mossy Woodlands

I was driving along this road in the Ow Valley, Co. Wicklow and I had to pull over and explore! The trees were absolutely cloaked in this bright green moss, standing out brilliantly against the quiet greys of the road and the wintery brown leaves on the verge.

Walking through here feels like stepping into an ancient Celtic rainforest! Speaking of which, did you know that this kind of heavy moss growth is a classic sign of a temperate rainforest ecosystem? The moss doesn't actually hurt the trees; it's an 'epiphyte', meaning it just uses the branches for support while soaking up all its moisture and nutrients directly from our wonderfully damp Irish air.