With the garden covered in snow, I have to really hunt to find color outdoors. This lichen on the Magnolia was all I found, but what a find. It's taken winter blahs to make me look closely to see the beauty that's been there all along.
Lichens are symbiotic organisms, made up of a fungus and either an alga (the singular of algae) or a cyanobacteria. The fungi obtain water and minerals, while the other parts provide energy through photosynthesis. Lichen can grow on bare rock and structures. While they contribute to weathering of rocks, they don't harm the trees on whose bark they live. Lichens can survive in harsh environments and provide a food source for some animals of the arctic tundra. There are different species of lichen, some of which have been used in medicine and as dyes. But that's not what's most of interest to the gardener. Lichens are an indicator of good air quality, as lichen is very sensitive to pollution. If you have lichen growing on your trees, rocks or other surfaces, that means you have pretty clean air, which is something to really like.
31 comments:
I lichen your photo a lot. Great close up.
Oooh, it's so colorful, MMD! I guess that means you have good air quality. A good thing, along with pretty growing things on Magnolias. :-)
Frances
I'm lichen it, too! Your lichen is very colorful. Looks like an abstract painting... :-)
Love the pun! :-) Lichen and other textures get us through these winter days.
Cameron
Some of my fellow grad students study lichen evolution with researchers at the Field Museum. It's pretty interesting, and it's made me start looking for them and photographing them when I'm in the field. They come in some pretty improbably colors and shapes!
My husband loves to say "I lichen it to moss."
We have lichens like that here, too! I've also got one that has red at the tips. I forget what it's called. Great photo, MMD!
I love lichens. Except we do have some growing on the north side of our roof, which I don't like so much. Elsewhere, they're fine. I saw some of the most amazing ones when I was in Labrador. Sadly, I know the name of only one lichen.
Thanks, Lisa!
Frances - you'd think so, but I don't think Lichen are affected by particulates, which is what we've had problems with this winter. I can't remember ever having air quality issues in winter before.
Shady - the abstractness is what drew me to it.
Cameron - yes, I look for trees with interesting bark, color & texture-wise for winter interest. There's not much else.
Diane - lichens are pretty fascinating, I can imagine it would be cool to study them.
Thanks, Kylee! From what I've seen on the internet, those red things are pretty freaky.
Jodi - you know more about lichen than I do. I can't ID mine, I can only appreciate them.
I did not know any of this...great info;-) Is it too late to write a post on the plant census? I will try to come up with one, after I take photos of mine...
MMD~~ They look kind of like barnacles in your photo.
I've read that the air is clean where lichens grow but I have to wonder. There is a paper mill and titanium plant a few miles from here. If the wind is just right, PEW. Yet we've got lichens and mosses galore so the factory's air must not be all that bad.
I shall have a stroll around to see how good our air quality is.
I'm lichen lichen almoss as much as I like moss! But, dagnabbit!, why is Ann Arbor the only freakin' place without snow? I love snow and we usually get a lot!
Had to pick this post for the title alone. The photo is great, too.
Gorgeous! I love this tapestry so much that I made it my computer background for the week. :)
I love the muted colors... very cool.
Jan - it's not too late, write one. During the week I'll be tallying results.
Grace - I think it's certain pollutants that are a problem for them, but I'm not sure.
Darla - I hope you find some. Lichens thrive in all climates, even in deserts.
Monica - I don't get it. We have snow, but not like PA or MD are getting. Weird winter.
Thanks, Barbara. I'm a sucker for puns.
Blackswamp Girl - I'm flattered. I wonder if anyone would know what it was, just seeing it on your screen?
DGG - muted colors for cloudy days. How long til spring?
What fabulous colours in this Lichen - it's great to be able to appreciate these things at this time of year... and incredible how many different types there are! Thanks for popping over to see my Brittany Garden blog... bon weekend! Miranda
It's really beautiful~Like moss it adds another dimension to a garden. gail
That is really interesting about the air quality. I have never heard that before. Thanks for the information.
Oh, yes, I'm liken it too. H.
Very interesting! I'm now going to look for clues about our air quality here...
Oh, how beautiful they are! I can't seem to break myself of the habit of picking up twigs or branches with interesting lichen formations, and bringing them home. They speak to me!
Hi MMD. It is pretty but I have very little. I expect the air quality is pretty good out here on the farm but I doubt we have enough moisture to allow it to grow.
Marnie
I lichen the things you taught us about lichens, and love the photo!
This is one of the things I love about blogging--I'm always learning something new! Now I know that "green stuff" growing on my trees is a good thing:)
Miranda - thanks for visiting!
Gail - I think I like moss better, but it's a close thing.
Hi, Nathan - I'm not making that up.
Cindy - I've never really noticed them out and about. I'll have to look for more come spring.
Marnie - lichens don't need a lot of moisture. You may have more than you realize.
Rose - don't scrape it off! :^)
LOVE the photo of the beautiful lichens.
Did you know that Beatrix Potter was a forerunner in the study and science of lichens? But because she was a woman her work was scorned.
Thank you for the photograph and inspiration!
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
Oh, and the lichen with the red top is called British Soldiers (this is in response to Kylee).
I love them and have used them in terrariums. They look magical.
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
Thank you for that info. I didn't know they were sensitive to pollution. I guess my prairie air is pretty clean. :) ~~Dee
Great photo, MMD. Like a map of the world. Lichens are fascinating organisms and it's good to take some time to admire them.
MMD, aren't you the one who won the photocontest? About lichens, i really liche it very much, it looks it's been growing there for a long time now. We have a lot of them here in the Philippines, tropics, but they suffer during the dry months. Hence they dont thicken that much through time, but we have lots of colors too. Fascinating and lovely mosaic of colors.
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