Using Moss on the Side of a Tree to Determine Direction- NOT TRUE | AskTOP.net – Leader Development for Army Professionals

Using Moss on the Side of a Tree to Determine Direction- NOT TRUE

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There have been many articles written and survival experts claim that you can tell cardinal direction by the side of a tree that moss grows on. The premise is that moss only grows on the North side of trees to shun sunlight. This is simply not true.

Moss will grow wherever it can find moisture. If the south side of a tree you are looking at is partly shaded by another tree, then moss will colonize it. It may be that in certain places and under certain conditions that moss grows predominantly on the north side of trees, but not enough to recommend relying on the moss to find your way.

So much for the TV show survivalist theories.

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Mark is a Retired Command Sergeant Major with 26 years of military leadership experience. He held 3 military occupational specialties (Field Artillery, Nuclear Weapons Tech, and Ammunition Ordnance). Mark is one of the leading military authors in the fields of leadership, counseling, and training.

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