How to Use lichen in a Sentence

lichen

noun
  • My oak trees are covered in green lichens and light green mossy stuff.
    — Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Aside from causing pain, oral lichen planus can lead to cancer.
    — Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, 25 Apr. 2018
  • Here is the lichen turned crouton; here, the squid turned tartlet.
    — Daniel Wenger, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2017
  • Mosses, lichens, fern mats, even other trees all grow in the canopy soil.
    — NBC News, 28 July 2019
  • The knob was a small rocky knoll, covered with mosses, shrubs, and lichen.
    — Longreads, 12 Mar. 2018
  • Not all tardigrades dwell in water; some species live in moss and lichens on trees.
    — Ben Guarino, ajc, 14 July 2017
  • To lichens and moss, the wall’s dry stones are surfaces where plants can’t compete.
    — Robert M. Thorson, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2023
  • It’s often said that there are only a few types of poisonous lichen.
    — Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2012
  • Those are lichens growing on the surface of the grapefruit bark.
    — Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Others say it was inspired by the red lichen that spreads around its summit.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
  • In any case, there are sure to be at least a few flecks of moss or lichen, gray or gray-green, on that side.
    — Ted Updike, Outdoor Life, 22 May 2025
  • So again, picture dried Elmer's glue, or the light blue lichen that grows on tree trunks.
    — Rachel Nussbaum, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2018
  • The moss and lichen growing on everything, even old rusty cars.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2023
  • The blues even have a little bit of a green undertone, like lichen on a stone.
    — Lisa Cregan, House Beautiful, 18 Aug. 2014
  • Furthermore the buds of trees, lichens and many fungi glow with this same light.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The forest floor is alive with mushrooms, lichens, moss and fox droppings.
    — William Booth, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2023
  • Some species of insects, lichens and fungi are found only in old-growth forests.
    — Adrian Higgins, idahostatesman, 25 Oct. 2017
  • Moss and lichens gradually die when on the ground and do not have to be gathered.
    — Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
  • That has allowed moose their willows and caribou their lichen, as well as the space to breed and move around.
    — Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Apr. 2018
  • Mosses, ferns, lichens, and liverworts love it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Beard lichens hang from the branches and cyclamens push up among tree roots that bulge from the earth like gnarled claws.
    — Catherine Fairweather, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2025
  • Little white mushrooms and sprigs of grayish-green lichen dotted the ground.
    — Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The girls scattered, gathering wood and old-man’s beard, a pale-green lichen that makes a good fire starter.
    — Susan Shain, The Atlantic, 5 June 2019
  • From lichen to hunter, lime, chartreuse, olive, and beyond, there's a right shade of green for every space!
    — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Near the river, a large Garry Oak tree is swathed in fringes of lime-green lichen.
    — Lisa Pemberton, The Seattle Times, 16 July 2017
  • Ferns, lichen and moss grow in them, and salamanders, spotted owls and bats reside in the trees.
    — Jim Robbins Ian C. Bates, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2023
  • The Mayan lichen mantis lives on tree bark and perfers medium-sized, smooth-bark trees.
    — Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Species linked to birch forests, including lichens and fungi, showed notable drops.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
  • Race on the White River, learn about lichens, or go on a night hike with these events around the state.
    — Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 13 June 2024
  • The little guests were able to take turns feeding the animals handfuls of lichen.
    — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, 7 Dec. 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lichen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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