What is Lichen and will it Harm my Tree?

by | Oct 7, 2019 | Trees in General

Orchard Park Tree What is Lichen and will it Harm my Tree

Have you seen any green, gray, or yellow mossy looking substance developing on your trees? If so, it’s possibly lichen. If you’re wondering, “What is lichen?” “Will lichen harm my tree?” Below are the answers.

 

What Is Lichen?

Though lichen develops and looks like a plant, it isn’t a plant. Lichen is the result of a symbiotic union between an alga or a cyanobacterium and a fungus. Sometimes, there is one more organism.

Orchard Park Tree Will Lichen Harm my Tree

Gray Lichen

More than 5% of the earth’s surface is believed to be covered by lichens. There are over 18,000 various kinds, and they come in a host of shapes and colors. They are found all over the globe, from desert sands to humid forests to frozen areas.

Lichen is typically found on the ground, tombstones, rocks, the ground, statues, and trees. It just needs an area to flourish. Lichen is usually the first sort of organism to develop after a natural disaster like a fire. It survives where plants can’t.

 

Lichen and Trees

People usually associate lichen with old, dead, or decaying trees and think that the decline was due to the lichen. In reality, the opposite is exact. Lichen typically appears on trees that are already dying. It’s rarely spotted on healthy trees.

Lichen likes moisture and sunlight. So, it’s evident in sunny spots that are bare to the rain. If your tree has had an unexpected loss of leaves or a branch, it produces favorable conditions for lichen to develop. Though lichen is in no way harming your tree, its existence might point to a dying or unhealthy tree due to other reasons including disease, incorrect watering practices, or pests.

 

Removing Lichen from a Tree

There’s no need to remove lichen from a tree. Eliminating it could do more harm than good. You might damage the bark by trying to get rid of the lichen, harming the tree and creating entryways for pests and diseases. If you don’t like the look of lichen, the best thing you can do is to stop it from appearing in the first place. You can do this by making sure that your tree stays healthy, is accurately pruned, and is always correctly watered. If you don’t have the time, hire a tree care professional to help you.