Upsala Crabseye Lichen: A Fascinating Natural Garden Visitor
Have you ever noticed peculiar crusty patches decorating the bark of trees in your yard? You might be looking at Ochrolechia upsaliensis, commonly known as the Upsala crabseye lichen. Don’t worry – this isn’t something you planted and forgot about, nor is it a plant disease harming your trees. It’s actually a remarkable living partnership that’s been quietly enriching ecosystems for millions of years!
What Exactly Is This Mysterious Garden Guest?
The Upsala crabseye lichen isn’t a plant at all – it’s something far more fascinating. Lichens are incredible partnerships between fungi and algae (or sometimes cyanobacteria), working together in perfect harmony. The fungal partner provides structure and protection, while the algae partner photosynthesizes to create food. It’s like nature’s ultimate roommate situation, and it actually works!
This particular lichen forms whitish to pale gray crusty patches on tree bark and wooden surfaces. The crabseye part of its name comes from its distinctive disk-shaped fruiting bodies, which look like tiny pale eyes scattered across the crusty surface.
Where You’ll Find Upsala Crabseye Lichen
As a native North American species, Ochrolechia upsaliensis calls the northern regions of the continent home. You’re most likely to spot it in boreal forests and northern temperate areas, where it happily makes itself at home on both deciduous and coniferous tree bark.
Is It Good for Your Garden?
Here’s the wonderful news: finding Upsala crabseye lichen in your garden is actually a great sign! Lichens are incredibly sensitive to air pollution, so their presence indicates that your local air quality is pretty good. Think of them as nature’s air quality monitors – and they’re working for free!
While this lichen won’t directly benefit pollinators like flowering plants do, it plays important ecological roles:
- Provides food and nesting materials for various insects and small creatures
- Helps with nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems
- Acts as a natural indicator of environmental health
- Adds subtle natural beauty to tree bark and wooden garden structures
How to Identify Upsala Crabseye Lichen
Spotting this lichen is easier than you might think once you know what to look for:
- Look for whitish to pale gray crusty patches on tree bark
- Check wooden fences, posts, or other wooden garden structures
- Search for small, disk-shaped fruiting bodies that look like tiny pale eyes
- The texture will be crusty or crumbly, quite different from smooth bark
- It tends to prefer areas with good air circulation and decent air quality
Should You Do Anything About It?
The short answer is: absolutely nothing! This lichen isn’t harming your trees or wooden structures – it’s simply using them as a place to live. Unlike parasitic plants, lichens don’t extract nutrients from their host surfaces. They’re just along for the ride, getting their nutrients from the air and rain.
Trying to remove lichens is not only unnecessary but can actually damage the bark of your trees. Instead, consider yourself lucky to have these natural air quality indicators gracing your garden. They’re a sign of a healthy environment and add a subtle, natural patina to your outdoor spaces.
The Bottom Line
Upsala crabseye lichen is one of those quiet garden residents that most people overlook, but it’s actually quite special. You can’t plant it, you can’t buy it, and you certainly shouldn’t try to get rid of it. It simply appears when conditions are right, like a natural stamp of approval on your garden’s environmental health. So the next time you spot those crusty patches with their distinctive crabseye fruiting bodies, take a moment to appreciate this ancient partnership between fungi and algae that’s been perfecting the art of cooperation since long before humans started gardening.
