Category Archives: The Forest

Tree Lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) – 2 photos

This is an interesting looking and feeling lichen that we find on only one or two trees in our forest. One popular location is on a very large broadleaf maple. We find lots of the lichen on the ground after a strong wind. Like most lichens, Tree Lungwort is sensitive to air pollution and so whenever you find lichen it is an indication of good air quality.  

Topside

As is common with herbal lore, plants resembling body parts were often used as a herbal remedy for that particular area. Because of its resemblance to the interior of a lung, Tree Lungwort got its common name. Medically it has been used for lung disease, asthma, incontinence, eczema and various other maladies. Also used in tanning, dying and brewing.

Underside

Storm Damage

Well, we survived our very loud and powerful windstorm a couple of nights ago. We could hear trees falling in the distance and lots of branches landing on our roof. We walked the property today and found one very large cedar had toppled.

I had been watching this tree as it had been damaged many years ago and it had multiple trunks coming
off the main trunk. It was quite unbalanced and a split was developing up the trunk so it was
destined to fall sooner rather than later.

As with many red cedar, this tree suffered carpenter ant or termite damage in its heartwood. This weakens the tree.

Unfortunately there won’t be much wood for me to salvage for milling but lots of kindling!

Fallen and Wounded

The remains of an old fir tree logged in the very early 1900’s. It is a little hard to gauge from the picture but the tree is about three feet across and approximately 300 years old. It was split open when another tree fell on it.