Usnea Herb Profile

Also known as

Usnea barbata, Usnea filependula, Usnea longissima, Old Man's Beard, Beard Moss, and Tree Moss.

Introduction

The oddly named usnea isn't a plant at all, but actually it is a lichen, which is a combination of algae and fungi functioning as a single organism. Usnea grows on old trees in cool, damp forests, most commonly found in the pacific Northwest which provides most of the nations supply. Usnea is abundant throughout most parts of the Northwest. The various species of usnea are hard to distinguish, but have equivalent uses in herbal medicine. 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. In light of the sensitive nature of Usnea, our wildharvesters strictly harvest from the ground shortly after a windstorm and we do not gather live Usnea from the trees which contributes to the decline of native populations.

Constituents

Usnic acid, essential fatty acids, mucilage, and sterols.

Parts Used

The dried thallus or lichen strands of collected plants.

Typical Preparations

Usually used to make cough and cold lozenges. Can be consumed as a tea and in extract form. externally as a compress or poultice.

Summary

Precautions

None.