Usnea spp. is a lichen (part algae, part fungi) that can be found growing on conifers, oaks, and fruits trees throughout the northern hemisphere. Also referred to as “old man’s beard”, usnea lichen has long, flexible, gray-green threads and is especially prolific among trees in the Pacific Northwest. Considered energetically cooling and drying, usnea was used in traditional folk herbalism for its wellness-supporting qualities. Usnea can be extracted, used topically, or steeped as usnea tea.
The various species of usnea are hard to distinguish but have equivalent uses. As such Mountain Rose Herbs cannot guarantee that each batch of Usnea we offer will be of an exact single species, but rather it will consist of numerous species of the Usnea family.
