Lichen...

Sunday 10th April 2011

Oh I know... so naughty... but I just noticed that Murrieta365 had put up the posting for Straight Out of the Camera... and I couldn't resist the chance of being first to add to the McLinky... usually I am one of the last to arrive at these linky parties...  How exciting...

For SOOC Sunday this week I have a series of photographs that I took of lichen on an old tree growing by the River Lagan...  I photographed it before the leaves came as it allowed the lichen to be lit by the natural light...  in a truly beautiful way...

Beautiful lichen which I know very little about... 

I have always been a big fan of these gorgeous fungal growths. 

I have always believed that Lichen prefers clean air for growing and usually grows on old trees...

It grows attached to the bark and surrounded by moss...

I have always thought that there is something very ancient looking about a tree covered with lichen...

beautiful silvery tufts...

I love these tiny little fungal organisms...

I think they are just so beautiful and ethereal...

I was kind of sad when I did a search for information on the lichen as I thought it would be interesting to find out what the botanical names were for the ones that I had photographed...

And they are not covered in any of my Natural History, Gardening or Wild Plant books...

But the majority of articles I came across seemed to be gardeners wanting rid of these beautiful funghi...

I would be truly delighted if my trees and shrubs started growing lichen... after all they do no harm... make the garden look mature (ours is still only a young garden at 13 years old) and would show that we had clean air to enjoy when we were sitting out in the garden reading or working...