I’m lichen it

I have become an expert of the use of lichen as a building material not, I may hasten to add, an expert in identification. Since there are over 3600 different lichen species in North America (that have been identified so far) identification to the species level is a bit of a challenge.

No, as part of my ongoing enthusiasm for creating a fairy home and garden to be displayed on a garden tour this spring, I have become both fascinated and appreciative of the gorgeous lichens that grow in our southern woods. And, luckily for me – and the fairies!- lichen provides a fabulous building material for walls and furniture.

Lichen is actually a combination of two different organisms, a fungus and an algae. In this symbiotic relationship, the fungus provides structure and shape and fruiting bodies to the algae. In return, the algae photosynthesizes and provides food for the fungus. It is a beautiful co-dependent relationship.

Lichens are astonishingly diverse, capable of living in environments as extreme as both the Sonoran desert and the Alaskan alpine tundra.

Some lichens are flat and cling desperately to rocks and boulders. Others are more three dimensional, growing on bark and branches and this is what I look for.

It’s pretty easy to pick up lichen covered bark but finding just the right size and structure takes a bit of time. The most useful pieces are large, thin and a gorgeous green-grey color. This often comes from oak branches – lichen on the bark of the main trunk is simply too thick and unwieldy to be of much use.

When I had picked up most of the lichen covered bark in my own backyard, I turned to my friend for help. She and her husband live on a large farm in the north Georgia mountains and I knew that her woodland paradise would yield a lot of lichen. She agreed to help and I invited them to dinner as a “thank you.” She quipped that she didn’t know anyone else who traded food for lichen. I think I got the better end of the deal.

I know that soon my fairy phase will pass and I’ll move on to bigger things – like my garden. In a few weeks warm weather will begin to return and the fairies will have to fend for themselves for a while. But in the meantime, I’m loving the lichen.