Brightly Colored Lichen

There’s a rock wall, a tenth of a mile long, that parallels the lane approaching my cabin. Many, many years ago it was created to help the land above become a bit more level, for growing corn. Now all these years later those rocks have a remarkable amount of lichen growing on them. The brilliant yellow or yellow-green colored lichen on the rocks, Sulphur Dust Lichen (Chrysothrix chlorina).

This lichen is sometimes used for dyeing. Its texture, soft and powdery. A touch against it will easily leave a mark. It generally grows in shady areas, most often on rocks and in rare occasions on the bark of trees.

That brilliant yellow makes this lichen easily spotted. That is, if you’re paying attention to what’s around you. So much out there to notice, no matter the season.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.