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["roxann" <roxann AT ancientearthwisdom.com>]

Just because a lichen may play a part in the decomposition of something 
living does not make it evil. it is playing a role in nature and sometimes 
the role is to remove life forms and re-distribute the resources. it seems 
that lichens show up on trees when the trees are stressed or not in the right 
soil pH for that tree. I know crepe myrtles will get lichens and sometimes 
keep them a really long time before they die, but it seems that there are 
less lichens on the trees in the more acidic pH soils. and the trees without 
lichens look a lot healthier than those with. same thing with our elms around 
the house. i love the usnea moss, but it seems the trees that are dying have 
the most moss. i don't think the moss is killing the tree, but the moss is 
taking advantage of a situation conducive to growth, which is the same 
condition that is not conducive to the tree. 

if james can make his tree less appealing to the lichens, that might be 
better for the tree, unless the lichens are an indicator that something else 
is wrong. just like in allopathic medicine, sometimes the bandaid approach 
really isn't solving the problem, just making it appear to go away. but 
sometimes a bandaid is all that is needed, just a little protective time to 
set things right.

Roxann, NW AR
http://blog.ancientearthwisdom.com (Ozark Musings from the homestead)