Lungwort Lichen: Native Plant Highlight

Welcome to the first native plant highlight! Join me every four months where I will feature a local plant, briefly go over medicinal uses, harvesting guidelines, and products I sell featuring these amazing plants. 

Native plants are extremely valuable allies as they are adapted to thrive in the same environmental conditions that we experience, offer food and habitat to local animal and insect species, and can be easy to grow! My hope is that by putting emphasis on local plants people are able to see the value in saving our local natural habitat and utilize native species instead of growing more popular European species.

*All information on native medicinal plants, fungi and lichen is a result of the sharing of knowledge from the indigenous peoples of this land, without this generosity these highlights would not be possible. As a show of gratitude for this knowledge, and this land, 5% of all sales during the month of February will be donated to the Sierra Club of BC, a non-profit that protects ecosystems, provides information, and fights for stronger environmental laws. If you would like to find out more about them go to www.sierraclub.bc.ca 

Lungwort Lichen - Lobaria pulmonaria

Habitat

Lobaria pulmonaria is a native lichen found growing within the temperate boreal forest of Canada, as well as found here along the west coast to Alaska. Lungwort grows within the tree canopy, commonly found on Giant Maple’s - intriguing how this lung-looking lichen grows off the branches of a tree whose structure resembles the trachea and bronchi.

Did you know the term ‘symbiosis’ was actually created to define the organism relationships of lichens! Interestingly, lichens are not a single organism like a plant or fungi, they are actually a symbiotic relationship between two or three organisms (fungus, algae and/or cyanobacteria)!

Harvesting Guidelines

Lichens are very slow growing organisms, dangling from the tree canopy providing the surrounding forest life with clean, filtered air. For these reasons, I only recommend harvesting Lungwort Lichen that has fallen to the forest floor, as it can quickly become unsustainable if harvested improperly. The best time to collect is after a storm, collect the healthiest specimens from the ground, take them home and rinse in cool water, dry and save for later use. Using this method I am able to harvest almost year round for Lungwort without hindering the growth of the colony, ensuring it lasts for years to come.

Medicinal Uses

When considering the usage of Lobaria it is imperative to look to the environment it thrives in; lichens are prolific in damp, cool environments and act as the lungs of the forest by accumulating heavy metals and air pollutants. The lungs thrive in a similar environment, damp and cool, filtering the air we intake. Therefore, we can presume that a herb adapted to thrive in this type of external climate will offer medicinal value to a similar internal climate. And that is just what the traditional use and research confirms!

Lungwort is the herb of choice when looking at lung conditions. It especially indicated when there is stuck mucous in the lungs, a spastic cough accompanied with body pains, and congestive sinus’. Whether you want to support lung health, have a current respiratory condition, or know that you experience a high load of environmental pollutants, Lungwort Lichen could be a perfect addition to your herbal tea!

Dosage

Lichens are very potent herbs, therefore I recommend adding them to a formula, 5-10% of total volume, or consuming in small quantities. For a Lungwort only formula (also known as a simple remedy) I recommend 1tsp/day. For a combination tea, it has a very mild Poplar/Honey-esque flavour making it easy to add into almost any formula. If symptoms get worse, discontinue use.

For your convenience I have formulated a tea containing Lungwort Lichen and other herbs to support lung health. Check out my tea Life’s a Wheeze to experience the powerful medicine of this hidden lichen.

Life's a Wheeze

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