Old Man's Beard

(Usnea spp.,)

Other Names:
Beard lichen

Range:


Family:
Parmeliaceae - Lichen-Forming Fungi Family

Growth Type:
Usnea is a genus of grayish-green lichens that formed through a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae.

Height:
they can grow to be 10-20 cm (4-8 inches) long.

Leaves:
N/A

Stem/Trunk:
The gray-green "branches" allow a test to ensure you have the correct plant. If you gently pull on the hair-like branches they will stretch and spring back when you let go.

Root:
N/A

Spore Appearance:
Unobserved

Spore Season:
Varies by species.

Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A

Habitat:
Usnea grows throughout the temperate zones of world

Parts Used:
Aerial Hair-like branches

Culinary Uses:
None Known

The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.

Energetics
Taste: Bitter
Thermal: Cooling
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:
For thousands of years Usnea has been used to fight off infections. Scientific studies have shown that Usnea kills fungi like Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and a wide range of bacteria including Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans (Bharti et al., 2022)¹. It does not, however, affect the beneficial bacteria lining the gut walls (Sepahvand et al., 2020)². This beneficial bacteria is called your microbiome, and it is critical to maintaining your good health. Pharmaceutical antibiotics are also highly effective at killing Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, but they do not stop there. Pharmaceutical antibiotics act like a nuclear warhead, in that they kill both bad, and good bacteria. Studies have also demonstrated that Usnea kills a multitude of viruses. It has also been shown to kill fungi like Candida (Peralta et al., 2006)³. Usnea has been shown to be promising in the treatment of Leukemia (Wenjing Wang et al., 2019)⁴. Research also demonstrates that plants in the Usnea genus have good cytotoxic effects on colorectal, breast, and lung cancer cells (Tuong et al., 2020)⁵. Recent studies have shown Usnea to be effective at treating ocular infections (Kıvanç et al., 2023). There is also a long history of Usnea being used to heal wounds.

Conditions Treated: Proven By Scientific Studies
The following is a list of medical conditions treated using this plant, and links to scientific studies demonstrating said use.

Allergic Rhinitis: (Shtro et al., 2014)
Bacterial Infections: (Asghar Sepahvand et al., 2021), (Dandapat et al., 2019)
Cancer: (Sepahvand et al., 2021)
Candidiasis: (Bharti et al., 2022)
Cellulitis: (Afreen et al., 2021)
Cold Sores: (Srisai et al., 2024)
Colds (Kocakaya et al., 2024)
Conjunctivitis: (Sharma et al., 2024)
Impetigo: (Watoni et al., 2020)
Influenza: (Shtro et al., 2014)
Mycosis (Fungal Infections): (Furmanek et al., 2019)
Ocular Infection: (Kıvanç et al., 2023)
Otitis (Ear Infection): (Levi et al., 2013)
Pharyngitis: (Basappa et al., 2013)
Pneumonia: (Paliya et al., 2016)
Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs): (GACHA et al., 2020)
Wounds: (Paliya et al., 2016)

Medicinal Actions:
Antibiotic, Antifungal, Anti-Inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antineoplastic, Antiviral, Astringent, Immunomodulator, Vulnerary