I was so focused on the fungi and they are so small that I didn't realize they were there until I began to edit the pics.

Fun identifying fact: Usnea has a natural elasticity that strectes like rubber band.

the whole side of the pine tree that was facing north, was covered with these.

seen in cape cod, MA summer 2026

I think it is oakmoss lichen not sure

Hi all!

I'm writing my college applications right now, and one of the prompts asks about a subject that I'm passionate about, and for me, that would be lichen. A fact that I've written into my response is that they defy existing categorizations of organisms, but I'm not sure if that's actually correct to say. I know that lichen, taxonomically speaking, belong under the fungi kingdom, but I'm assuming that's just because it would be confusing to categorize it under another kingdom since the fungal components are the hosts? Even though lichen are a symbiotic relationship between two organisms that can exist separately, wouldn't categorizing them as individual species, taxonomically, mean that when in lichen form, the two separate organisms can be counted as one? Sorry if I've used any terms wrong or gotten mixed up. Thank you all!

This is a bench near my home (Austria), thought you peeps might appreciate it

Found this in Lower Austria on a tree stump and I'm not sure if it's a mushroom or a type of lychen. First time seeing anything like this. Does anyone know what this is?

On a hike this summer, I found some beautiful lichen on the ground and took it home with me. My boyfriend made a mold from it that night from a two part putty. For my birthday, he used the mold to make a bracelet for me. He casted it in silver, then later treated it with liver of sulfur to darken the background. I thought the people here would appreciate it.

Found a nice patch of Ricasolia quercizans and Lobaria pulmonaria sharing a tree in the forest behind my house in Muskoka (Canada). Nice to see!

I discovered this sprouting on a patch of soil loosely adhered to a terracotta planter (Tevaplanter) inside a terrarium of sorts (also sold by Tevaplanter, along with an accessory grow light). The planter is a self-watering hollow vessel that contains water and allows it to sorta "sweat" through it's wall via these tessellated pores formed into the pottery. I'm not a Tevaplanter employee/owner, btw... I've generally been pretty disappointed in the speed of their order fulfillment and the ability of these things to actually support plant life, FWIW.

I'm in Central Ohio, but it's probably more important that I previously attempted to get some bagged moss intended for floral arrangement to "take root" in this spot. I later discovered that said moss was sterilized... but maybe not well enough?

Anyway, I don't know much about lichens, or how they propagate... but I'm curious to know more, and I'd be curious to hear guesses about what species this might be. It seems to be doing really well, so maybe I'll focus on getting lichens to grow, rather than moss.

(P.S. Upon further review of this photo, the thing on right appears to have a stalk, and possibly a central vein running down the two lobes... so it might actually be a plant. 90% sure the rest of the green stuff is lichen, though.)

In western Washington. Ive been admiring it for the 5 years i've lived here. If anything happens to it i'll be devastated. Im worried someone will scrape it off to take home or something.

I wanna get familiar with what I can find in my area for witchcraft purposes and I don't know anything about lichens and identifying this is confusing. They're also quite dry now if i'm not wrong so they might look different. I live in the philippines btw!

Lichen on a rouse bush.

Southeast, Brazil

Found on Cape Cod

It was on a railing that had lots of graffiti on it. This paint however was the one the lichen seemed to like the most. I have no idea what kinda paint it was, most markers I know don't produce paint this thick. Maybe it was some kind of selfmade acrylic paint marker. Found in Saxony, Germany.

From Malaysian rain forest