Bearded Lichen

Day 10: Visitors to the Evergreen State often remark on the moss hanging in nearly every tree, little realizing that some of the delicate thready clumps are not true mosses at all. Bearded Lichen, a species of Usnea, is common on both deciduous and evergreen species alike. It was valued by Native peoples for containing a natural antibiotic and was used as a compress for wounds. It is edible and rich in vitamin C, if not particularly desirable as a food. Shown here on a branch of Vine Maple, it is parasitic and can sap the strength of young trees.