Methuselah's Beard Lichen
Usnea longissima
Fungi & Lichens
Moist mature coastal forest
iNaturalist records: Mar 2022
Meet this species
Methuselah's beard lichen is an unmistakable hanging lichen of humid forests. Its long strands occupy the branch and canopy environment, where access to clean air, moisture and suitable forest structure shapes where it can grow. It is one of those organisms that makes the atmosphere of a coastal forest visible.
Long strands of Methuselah's beard lichen hanging from branches near Greene Point.
What to look for:
Look for extraordinarily long, pale green or grey-green strands hanging from tree branches. The beard-like growth can form soft curtains or tangles in humid forest conditions and is unlike the flatter leafy form of many other lichens.
Why It Matters Here:
This lichen helps tell the forest end of the Glasgow story. Moisture does not exist only in the creek channel: fog, rain, humidity and canopy structure create microhabitats throughout the watershed, supporting organisms long before that water reaches the estuary.
Field Record
Documented at Greene Point through field observations and photographs recorded on iNaturalist.