George Simpkins Photography

Canon EOS 60D – 100mm (EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro IS USM) ISO 100 - 1/60 sec - f/32

Yellow, Orange And Brown Lichen

Lichen are small organisms commonly found throughout the forests of North America. They’re neither plant or animal, but rather they’re organisms unlike any other on Earth. While most people may think lichen are a type of moss, they are actually a combination of an algae and a fungus. The fungus provides a structure for the algae to live in, while the algae provides food for the fungus.

Ranging in size from as small as a penny to strands that can be several feet in length, lichen grow in all types of places. They also range in colors from bright oranges and yellows, to grays and greens, and even black. Lichen are a diverse group of organisms to say the least—as there are more than 3,600 different species of lichen in North America alone!