DALLAS, Pa. — You see it everywhere, growing on the ground, on a tree even on your roof! It sometimes looks like strange green ruffes, scales or even stringy clumps. It is called lichen. Paul shares information about lichen how how it is actually harmless to trees and can be a beneficial indicator of good air quality.
According to the United States Forest Service, "Lichens are a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga. The dominant partner is the fungus, which gives the lichen the majority of its characteristics, from its thallus shape to its fruiting bodies. The alga can be either a green alga or a blue-green alga, otherwise known as cyanobacteria. Many lichens will have both types of algae."