Usnea, Is it Safe
Health Benefits of this Edible Lichen
Usnea is a lichen that grows in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It is also edible. Beard lichens — as Usnea is classed as — grow around the world. They have been a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM). And also used by Pacific Northwest Native American groups.
A lichen is a complex organism consisting of a fungus and algae. The fungus is the dominant partner and gives the lichen most of its characteristics.
More about lichens and their unique biology can be found here
How to Identify
The best way to positively identify usnea is to gently pull apart the strands and see that it has a stretchy white core in the center. Usnea is the only lichen with a white core. Usnea is a great plant to forage in the fall and wintertime when there isn’t much else available. There is a close look-alike but will not have the characteristic white core. There are only two lichens that are poisonous enough to kill you. That would be the Wolf lichen and the Powdered Sunshine lichen. Both are yellow in color with the wold lichen being a greenish-yellow color. So don’t eat the yellow lichens.
The beard lichens like the Usnea lichen grow in trees. Since beard lichens, in general, are becoming more scarce it is best to harvest that Usnea or other beard lichens that have fallen off the tree. Try to consider, as well, that there will be others coming behind you, or the following weekend, to do the same kind of harvesting for their personal home apothecary. It is a growing trend and we all need to consider the possible harm we could do by harvesting too much.
Also, Usnea can sometimes be confused with Spanish Moss or Oak Moss. Spanish moss is not moss, to begin with. Spanish moss is a flowering plant in the bromeliad family. Spanish moss features long uniform strands and when pulled apart has a black central strand.
The above picture is an oakmoss specimen. The best way to tell the difference is oakmoss will grow on the tree truck while Usnea will grow on the tree branches.
Is It Good For You
There are many claims about Usnea? Most are not proved by any scientific research. For some verified research is not enough. However, we do know that some are allergic to lichens. And ingesting Usena or Usnic acid derived from Usnea could cause an allergic reaction.
There are some claims that Usnea can be used for weight loss. The evidence for this claim is contrary to actual scientific research into Usnea and the properties of Usnea. Sometimes usnic acid is used in these supplements for weight loss. However, liver toxicity occurs with supplement dosage containing 400mg or more in the product. So watch how much usnic acid is in the product before purchasing.
Usnic acid has some antimicrobial benefits against staphylococcus and eight other bacteria. Some studies have also found that it may have some antioxidant properties. But there are no studies supporting this. This backs the broad claim it is a wound healer and can prevent gang green. The reason some wounds can take a long time to heal is the presence of bacteria in the wound.
In a general sense, Usnea is safe to use and consume. Simple water or alcohol extraction in your home is the best way to extract usnic acid or any antibiotic properties in the plant.
None of this is medical advice.
How to Prepare
Use Usnea straight or as a tea are not the best methods. As a tea does not extract the beneficial compounds from Usnea. Furthermore, Usnea should be washed several times before it is digestible as food. So alcohol extraction as a tincture works very well. Pack a mason jar or some other type of jar with usnea. Pack it in there, not too full though. Then fill the jar with enough alcohol to cover the lichen. Then close and let sit for six weeks before using.
A second way is heat extraction which involves a crockpot and a dishcloth. Then follow these steps.
- Chop your usnea into small sections. For this recipe, you will use only 1 oz or about the amount you can fit in the palm of your hand.
- Place all your herbal material in a mason jar.
- Pour enough water over the material until it is all covered. Stir and cap tight.
- Place a dishcloth in the bottom of your crockpot or cooking pot. This keeps the mason jar from superheating and burning your material. Place your jar on top of the dishcloth. Next, fill your cooking pot with water until it reaches the top of the pot or comes within 1 inch of the top of your mason jar. Turn the heat on low. This will result in a strong decoction. Let this sit in your crockpot for 1 day. You may need to burp the jar many times a day to relieve pressure. DO NOT put cold liquids into or onto the hot jar as it could cause the glass to crack or explode.
- On day 2, remove the jar and let it cool. Once cool, open your jar and add roughly 2 shot glasses full of 95% drinking alcohol (vodka or brandy). (more if you have used a lot of Usnea) Stir and cap tight.
- Place your cooled jar back inside of your crockpot to sit for 6 days on low heat. Be sure to remove the jar once a day and let it cool. While it’s cooling down, add more water to your cooking pot to bring it back up to level. Continue to burp the jar to relieve any pressure built up in your jar. Once it’s cooled a bit, return it to the crockpot.
- When 6 days are up, remove the jar and let it cool. Strain the tincture from the plant material. It should now look brown and smell herby. Discard the plant material, and store your usnea tincture in a dark bottle in a cool, dry place.
link here
If you do decide to develop your own personal home apothecary please consider how much you actually would need for your personal use of this or any other herb you can find in your forest. We all need to work together to keep the forest alive and well and sufficiently stocked so the next generation can have the same opportunities in the forests we have had.
Thank you for reading.
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