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Tortula muralis

wall screw-moss

Pottiaceae Cosmopolitan

Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Tortula muralis is a small cushion-forming moss that grows in low, neat green to grey-green tufts about 0.2-0.4 inch (5-10 mm) tall on walls, mortar, concrete, stone, and other hard surfaces. The tongue-shaped leaves curl and twist when dry and spread out when wet, each ending in a long, clear, hair-like point that gives mature cushions a frosted, greyish look. From the cushions rise slender red-brown stalks 0.4-0.8 inch (10-20 mm) tall carrying narrow, upright spore capsules with a long, twisted, orange-red mouth fringe. It is a very common moss of man-made stone and lime-rich surfaces, growing on sunny, dry walls where few other mosses persist. The cushions dry out hard in drought and green up again within minutes of rain. It tolerates lime, heat, and pollution, and colonises new mortar quickly. In deep shade or on acidic, soft surfaces it gives way to other mosses.

Native Range

Tortula muralis has a near-cosmopolitan range across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Australasia. It grows mainly on lime-rich man-made and natural stone, including walls, mortar, concrete, paving, and rock, from lowlands to mountains.

Suggested Uses

Grown or tolerated on stone walls, paving, troughs, and green roofs where a tough, low green cushion is wanted, and used in moss and miniature plantings. It also colonises new masonry on its own, softening fresh stone and mortar.

How to Identify

Identify by the low, neat cushions on walls and stone whose tongue-shaped leaves each end in a long, clear hair-point, giving a greyish, frosted look. When dry the leaves twist and curl, and when wet they spread flat. The upright capsules on red-brown stalks have a long, spirally twisted orange-red peristome.

Appearance

Colors

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

This moss does not flower. Spore capsules are produced through much of the year, often maturing in late winter and spring on their slender red stalks. The twisted peristome teeth control the slow release of spores as the capsule dries.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 3-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 8.5(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

rocky chalk

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

In gardens this moss appears by itself on walls, mortar, paving, stone, and concrete in sun or light shade, needing no cultivation. It favours dry, lime-rich, well-lit surfaces and copes with heat, drought, and city air. No watering or feeding is required, as it survives long dry spells and revives with rain. Where it is unwanted on paths or roofs, it is scraped or brushed off once dry. It re-establishes readily on fresh mortar and bare stone. Deep shade and acidic surfaces slow its growth.

Pruning

No pruning applies to this moss. Cushions are scraped or brushed away where they are unwanted on paving, walls, or roofs. Left in place, the patches persist for years and spread by spores.

Container Growing

✓ Suitable for container growing

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic