Usnea is a lichen that grows worldwide on the bark of trees, usually conifers, but can also be found on oak, hickory, walnut, and apple trees. It often grows in long beard like strands, which is where it got the nicknames Old Man's Beard and Beard Lichen.

Where can usnea be found?

Usnea longissima is found in Western Europe and North America. In North America, it is found along the Pacific Coast from northern California to southern Alaska. It has also been found in the Upper Midwest and north of the United States and Canada border along the Great Lakes and east to the Atlantic Coast.

Where does usnea grow in the US?

Usnea, pronounced ooze-nee-ah and better known as old man's beard, is the long, lacy, greenish lichen that grows from tree trunks and branches in forests across New Hampshire and Vermont.