Discovering Nylander’s Navel Lichen: A Rocky Relationship in Your Landscape
Have you ever spotted what looks like a leathery, circular patch stuck to a rock and wondered what on earth it could be? Meet Nylander’s navel lichen (Umbilicaria nylanderiana), a fascinating organism that’s neither plant nor animal, but something wonderfully unique that might already be calling your rocky garden areas home.
What Exactly Is Nylander’s Navel Lichen?
Before we dive deeper, let’s clear up what we’re dealing with here. Lichens are remarkable partnerships between fungi and algae (or sometimes cyanobacteria), working together in perfect harmony. The fungus provides structure and protection, while the algae do the heavy lifting of photosynthesis, making food for both partners. It’s like nature’s ultimate roommate situation!
Nylander’s navel lichen gets its charming common name from its distinctive appearance – it’s attached to rock surfaces by a single central point, much like a belly button. This attachment point, called an umbilicus (hence the scientific name Umbilicaria), makes it look like someone stuck a dark, leathery coin to the rock face.
Where You’ll Find This Rocky Resident
This native North American lichen has made itself at home primarily in the northeastern regions of the continent. You’re most likely to encounter it in boreal and mountainous areas where it decorates exposed rock faces with its distinctive circular form.
Spotting Nylander’s Navel Lichen in the Wild
Identification is pretty straightforward once you know what to look for:
- Circular, leather-like appearance ranging from dark brown to nearly black
- Single central attachment point (the navel)
- Smooth or slightly wrinkled surface texture
- Typically 2-8 inches across when fully developed
- Found exclusively on rock surfaces, never on trees or soil
Is It Beneficial to Have Around?
While you can’t exactly plant Nylander’s navel lichen in your garden bed, having it occur naturally on rocky areas of your property is actually quite wonderful. Here’s why:
- It’s an excellent indicator of clean air quality – lichens are sensitive to pollution
- Adds unique texture and visual interest to rock gardens and natural stone features
- Contributes to the local ecosystem in ways we’re still discovering
- Requires absolutely zero maintenance (the best kind of landscaping!)
The Reality Check: You Can’t Grow This One
Here’s where we need to set expectations: unlike your typical garden plants, you can’t cultivate or propagate Nylander’s navel lichen. These organisms require very specific conditions that develop naturally over time, including the right rock chemistry, moisture levels, air quality, and microclimatic conditions. They’re also incredibly slow-growing, taking years or even decades to reach maturity.
If you’re lucky enough to have this lichen naturally occurring on rocks in your landscape, consider yourself blessed with a living indicator of environmental health. The best thing you can do is simply leave it alone to thrive in its chosen spot.
Creating Lichen-Friendly Spaces
While you can’t plant Nylander’s navel lichen directly, you can create conditions that might encourage various native lichens to establish naturally:
- Maintain clean air around your property by avoiding chemical sprays
- Leave natural rock outcroppings undisturbed
- Avoid pressure washing or scrubbing rocks where lichens might grow
- Be patient – lichen establishment is measured in years, not seasons
The Bottom Line
Nylander’s navel lichen represents one of nature’s most interesting partnerships, and while it’s not something you can add to your shopping list at the garden center, discovering it naturally in your landscape is like finding a hidden treasure. These remarkable organisms remind us that some of the most fascinating parts of our natural world operate on their own timeline and terms.
So next time you’re wandering around rocky areas, keep an eye out for these circular, dark patches. You might just spot one of nature’s most patient and resilient collaborations doing its quiet work of beautifying the stone surfaces of North America.
