I’m Lichen This Beard!

They are fluffy, bushy, a little bit bristly, fun to play with, a little bit wild, and… very beneficial for your health! While my beard is most those things, that isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a fun lichen that grows in the forest that is called Usnea, or commonly called “Old Man’s Beard”. This is another one of those things similar to Turkey Tail that I’ve heard about but haven’t had the chance to harvest until recently. I was super excited to find it after moving to Missouri. Then, it didn’t take long to realize it’s literally everywhere in the forest! Usnea is a very potent herb that can do a lot of things but it does need to be used sparingly. Too much of it can cause liver damage. I am new to this herb and haven’t used it much at all, so I was going to wait and write about it when I have more experience with it but I thought it would be interesting to write about it now and then do a follow up later when I’ve had a chance to use it a little bit more. I have a few particular uses that I’m excited to use Usnea for, but before I get into that, I want to just introduce you to this herbal lichen.