Living Beauty Full in the Burbs
Living Beauty Full in the Burbs
Chances are you’ve seen lots of lichen and not realized it. Or maybe you know what it is but haven’t thought about using it as decor in your home. I love lichen. I’m fascinated by it. I love the myriad forms and delicate colors, the textures, and the way lichen lives on its own without a whole lot of help other than something to anchor it. “Lichen is a composite organism that arises from fungi and alga (algae) in a symbiotic relationship”. (sources: Wiki and US Forestry) That just means it’s a life form of its own comprised of two other forms, in this case, fungus and algae. It’s harmless and lives quite happily for years, quietly growing without commanding much notice. Unless you happen to be a reindeer. They notice. And then they eat it.
Lichens are found all over the world, from rain forests and temperate woodlands to the high elevations in alpine areas. It grows on bark, rocks, headstones, brick and stone walls, it hangs from power lines and branches. (Epiphytes, or air plants.) They are long lived and some are considered the oldest living things in today’s world. Sensitive to environmental changes, lichen has been used to assess air pollution, ozone depletion and even metal contamination.
This year I used some of my glass containers with nothing but lichen. I tucked an epiphyte in one and added some lichen at the bottom. I may keep this out all year, but it isn’t a sure thing. I move things all the time. A display I LOVE today might inspire an “eh” tomorrow. That’s the fun of decorating. Nothing is permanent. At least not in my home.
I love lichen for the texture it brings to potted succulents, or just in a glass container where I enjoy the fantastic form. In the winter I like to add reindeer moss to my displays of pine cones, and in the last couple of years I started adding bits and pieces of lichen I found in my yard. I think it elevates the display to a new level and adds interest. I add moss and lichen to my pots of succulents as well. A few pieces added to a chicken feeder full of succulents hides the soil and adds another layer of beauty.
For a winter display you can’t beat lichen. So next time you’re walking in a wooded area, or even around your yard take the time to look closer at the tiny world around you, chances are you’ll start to see lichen and maybe you too, will take a liking to lichen. Um, I don’t recommend eating it. Just look at it. Enjoy it that way.
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