Ceratodon purpureus

(redshank)

Habitat:Grows happily in waste places, often by the side of a road or railroad tracks, and sometimes on discarded objects. The preference is full sun to light shade, moist to mesic conditions, and soil that contains sand, gravel, cinders, or clay. This moss tolerates air pollution and the presence of heavy metals in soil to a greater extent than most mosses. Like many other mosses, it prefers some protection from prevailing winds and a microhabitat with a higher-than-average humidity level.