Lichens at Large

Lichen growth on old Prunus tree February 2011

The annual appearance of a particularly spectacular lichen that grows at the base of one of the flowering prunus trees growing on our pavement (directly adjacent to our driveway and, therefore, visible to us upon entering or leaving our property), is always a delightful discovery.  We view its emergence with particular excitement, as it always seems to appear as if out of nowhere.  Herewith I present February 2011's offering...it's roughly the size of a rugby ball! 
To continue this post, please click the Read More button below....

Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic association of a fungus with a photosynthesising partner, frequently a cyanobacterial alga.

Lichens occur in some of the most extreme environments on earth, ranging from the icy arctic to the blistering heat of deserts.

Lichens are abundant as epiphytes found in both temporal and rain forests, growing on both the leaves and branches of trees.

Lichens also occur on bare rock and open soil surfaces.

Lichens are widespread and many may be long-lived.

Other lichens are vulnerable to environmental disturbances making them particularly useful as bio-indicators in tracking the effects of both air pollution and ozone depletion.

They have been used in the manufacture of perfumes, dyes and traditional medications.

Some lichens have the appearance of leaves, others appear crusty and still others may adopt shrubby or even gelatinous forms. These truly fascinating organisms are (sadly) often overlooked by even the most enthusiastic of gardeners!

May I now challenge you to discover the wide variety you might well have growing in your own backyards!

And now...

To update any regular readers of Driftwood Ramblings who might have been wondering why my posts have become so spaced of late...

I am still puppy-sitting and have been doing so in earnest this past week, trying to get our daughter's 15 week old puppy, Romeo fully house-trained.  He's getting the idea, but as we continue to have the occasional mishap, I need to remain alert and ensure I'm quicker at nabbing him than he is at evacuating.  Hence, for now at least, my life is not quite my own.  I'm at the beck and call of this adorable and adoring little pup!  Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since our daughter adopted him from the Animal Rescue Shelter and he's doing remarkably well.

  

You will know of the initial reluctance we had from our 11 month old, German Shepherd pup, Toby, to accept Romeo into 'the pack'.  I'm happy to report back that since I last posted on this topic, there has been considerable improvement in how they relate to each other.  It's still not safe enough, however, to leave them together unsupervised, largely due to the size difference. We therefore need to be vigilant, so Romeo does not get hurt in the rough-and-tumble.

Give us a few more weeks, though, and I'm hoping we'll have it all running 'smooth as clockwork!' Meantime, my posts will of necessity, remain largely erratic.