Neighbourly Moss and Lichen

In March, before the parks were closed, I went for a short walk at Balls Falls. Bright green patches of moss stood out in the otherwise muted landscape. I took several photos of the striking moss-covered rocks. But is moss interesting enough for a story? I had my doubts at the time.

Well, here we are.

Let me tell you about moss.

Moss is a flowerless plant. It’s a simple plant structure and thrives in places where other plants can’t. Like shady damp areas.

It can be mistaken for lichen. Lichen, however, does not have stems and leaves like a plant. It’s not a plant, but rather algae and fungus working together in a symbiotic relationship. The Canada Museum of Nature recently ran a vote to choose a national lichen species. There’s a lot lichen covering Canada given its abundance in the boreal forest and arctic tundra. So it’s fitting to add a lichen species to the line up of national symbols, along with the beaver, the loon, the moose. And maple syrup.

Amazing what you learn when your kid does school at home.

To show the difference between moss and lichen, I wanted to take some photos of lichen. Turns out it’s not hard to find. Almost all the trees in my neighbourhood are covered in lichen. Those little spores are quite intricate when you look closely.

Remarkable what you can find in your own backyard when you stop to look.

No wonder it can be hard to tell the difference. Moss and lichen often grow in close proximity (as I found on this neighbourhood tree on the right).

Both moss and lichen play an important role in a healthy habitat. They act like natural air filters.

So we like to see moss and lichen flourishing.

The winning vote was the Star-tipped Reindeer Lichen. I know you were curious. If you see this cauliflower shaped lichen on a Canadian coin in the future, remember, you heard it here first.