Moorland Ramblings

Names

• Reindeer Lichen
• Reindeer Moss
• Reindeer Cup Lichen
• Cladonia rangiferina

Flowering Period

• Year Round

Identify

A greyish, fruiticose lichen that grows in soil on rock. It is extensively branched, with each branch dividing further into two, three or four. It looks like a tiny forest of reindeer antlers.

About

Found in abundance in the Arctic Tundra, Reindeer Lichen is also found in the UK, favoring moorland and upland woodland, particularly in cold areas. Reindeer lichens grow very slowly, only 0.2 to 0.4 inch per year, but tend to live a long time – more than 100 years on average. Because of their slow growth rate, if damaged or destroyed, they may take decades to recover.

Uses

• Reindeer Lichen is edible and therefore used as a food source in some regions
• Has been used in a tea to treat Kidney Stones and diarrhoea
• Makes a good source of tinder (if dry)
• Is used to make Aquavit, a type of spirit.
• Reindeer Lichen is the primary food source for reindeer and caribou and as such, is of economic importance for reindeer herders.

Folklore & Mythology.

• Being the food source of reindeer, there are a few tales linking reindeer lichen to Santa’s famous herd.