Wee Trees Bonsai Help Forum Advice for all
http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/

Anyone know anything about lichens?
http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=18140		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  sputnik [ 16 Nov 2018, 16:30 ]
Post subject:  Anyone know anything about lichens?
Probably not a bonsai query but tree related nevertheless. I was out at the weekend and walked through an area of birch and oak woodland in which almost every tree was covered in lichen. The bark was covered with it and other lichens hung from the branches like leaves. Some was on dead trees and others were on living trees just losing their leaves for Winter. What causes this? Some research suggests it occurs in areas of ancient woodland or where there is clean air.

Any ideas?

ImageUntitled by Sputnik184, on Flickr

ImageUntitled by Sputnik184, on Flickr
Author:  Penny Ann [ 16 Nov 2018, 18:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone know anything about lichens?
I think it also occurs in very shady damp places. There seems to be many varieties. I once walked through a wood right by the coast in south Wales and it was hanging off the trees in huge amounts.
Author:  breck1 [ 16 Nov 2018, 21:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone know anything about lichens?
not just damp shady sites my Juniper had lichens growing on it for several years I used Kaizen moss killer and got rid of it it seemed to stop back budding and choked slow growth
Author:  cmarkr [ 17 Nov 2018, 00:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone know anything about lichens?
Doesn't answer anybody's questions but lichen is a symbiosis of algae and fungus. Interesting how symbiotic relationships are so fundamental to nature.
Author:  John M [ 18 Nov 2018, 19:58 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone know anything about lichens?
cmarkr is correct - a symbiotic relationship between alga and fungus. They are extraordinary
organisms - very slow growing. I'm not even sure we can call them plants any more, as both algae and
fungi are now classified outside the green plants kingdom.

There is an 'Observers Book of Lichens' to be had quite cheap by searching Amazon etc,
author Ken Alvin, my old tutor at Imperial College in the early 60s, and this can help you to i/d them -
but honesly I have always found them quite hard to i/d exactly.

Characteristically they prefer clean air, and damp, so you tend to find them at their best in the west country,
Welsh woodlands, etc, but there are a few species that are far more tolerant. You can find these in
suburbia on walls and roofs as well as on tree bark - bright yellow, beautiful grey, etc. I like them! Oh, of
course and on bonsai too - especially junipers for some reason.

Hope this helps.

J.
Author:  sputnik [ 19 Nov 2018, 13:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone know anything about lichens?
Thanks for all that. I had been looking at other lichens in an area of beech woodland where I walk quite regularly but these on the birches and oaks were quite beautiful and gave the wood a very mystical quality.
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/