# Survival > Foraging & Wild Edibles >  old mans beard

## randyt

Does old mans beard grow in northern michigan? I think its also called usnea.

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## hunter63

Been kinda looking for a map of the range where it grows....not much so far.

Have not seen anything like it in northern Wisconsin....or for tthat matter anywhere in WI.

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## Enigma

Do you mean Clematis Vitalba?

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## Rick

@ Enigma - No. It's in the Usnea genus. It's a lichen that grows on the limbs of trees. 

@ Hunter - I've never seen it in the wild around here. I've only seen it much further south from us. I think you have to get into Georgia maybe? I don't recall ever seeing it in Tennessee. 

http://lichens.digitalmycology.com/m...ens/Usnea.html

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## ClayPick

It's common here in the swampy areas and along the coast where the trees live a hard life.
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## Enigma

> @ Enigma - No. It's in the Usnea genus. It's a lichen that grows on the limbs of trees.


Prooved my point about using common names.

Clematis Vitalba is also "Old Man's Beard". Which one is correct?

Common names are not at all useful.

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## Rick

Seriously. Lighten up. That's your opinion. I had a hunch that you were just baiting with the Clematis toss out. You made your point, move on.

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## MrFixIt

> @ Enigma - No. It's in the Usnea genus. It's a lichen that grows on the limbs of trees. 
> 
> @ Hunter - I've never seen it in the wild around here. I've only seen it much further south from us. I think you have to get into Georgia maybe? I don't recall ever seeing it in Tennessee. 
> 
> http://lichens.digitalmycology.com/m...ens/Usnea.html


It does grow in GA, but is much more prevalent in the southern end of the state.

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## Enigma

> Seriously. Lighten up. That's your opinion. I had a hunch that you were just baiting with the Clematis toss out. You made your point, move on.


Not baiting anyone Rick.  I don't need to 'bait' people I have never met, on the internet.

I'm trying to instill an important lesson in survival. FORGET common names.

If you guys take offence to me trying to improve people learning, then I'm sorry because that is NOT the point and was not my point in stating that Latin is the only reliable ID'ing method.

I'll glady take a step back, if I am overstepping this forums mark in etiquette, or whatever you guys are comfortable with.

I'll say it again though, common names are a f#$%ing joke, when it comes to the plant world. For me, to sit here reading that people have no use for it, is.how should I say it..rather 'interesting' to say the least, but this is your forum, your rules, your country. I'll step back. :-) And by the way, no offense was ever meant at all.

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## randyt

My indian friends don't know latin, surprisingly they have no problems identifying the plants we discuss. Even with that said I agree, unfortunately for me I learned most plant names by oral means, not a book or off the web. Thankfully there are many in this thread that knew what I was referring to.

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## Arctic Fox

Common names are usually pretty helpful, but recently the scientific community has been changing the binomial nomenclature of some organisms due to new developments. (And they are starting to change the classification system a little too.) so, both names could be correct

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## Enigma

> My indian friends don't know latin, surprisingly they have no problems identifying the plants we discuss. .


That is normal for people who are local

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## Rick

The problem is you keep harping on it. You've said it over and over. We get it. Actually, we all generally agree on the same thing especially when talking points between regions/countries. If you want to use Latin then fine, use it. If others want to use local names that's their privilege.

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## jdbushcraft

I've always known "old man's beard" as what grows in Florida ( and elsewhere) and was used as stuffing for car seats many years ago.  The stuff in that picture..  And I'm from IL where we don't have any to my knowledge.  

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

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## Batch

> I've always known "old man's beard" as what grows in Florida ( and elsewhere) and was used as stuffing for car seats many years ago.  The stuff in that picture..  And I'm from IL where we don't have any to my knowledge.  
> 
> Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


I have heard people say they confuse the two. But, I have always heard Spanish Moss called Spanish Moss by people I have actually talked to Spanish Moss about.

It does definitely resemble Old Mans Beard from a distance. Spanish Moss's current scientific name (Tillandsia usneoides) the species name usneoides means resembling Usnea.

There is a woman in Florida who makes horse blankets out of Spanish Moss. 

http://www.tampabay.com/features/hum...lankets/968162

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## fjrmurph

We have something simliar here on the east coast of Canada.. I'm afraid to say what we call it. Someone might get upset. !!!!

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## hunter63

> We have something simliar here on the east coast of Canada.. I'm afraid to say what we call it. Someone might get upset. !!!!


LOL I won't....but yeah, seems like some might.....there has been some discussion on this lately
.
You bring up a major point....."I don't know the scientific name, don't want to sound stupid, so I'll just keep quite.".......This is a normal reaction....and kinda destroys the value of the discussion.

Kinda too bad when different ways of looking at things can't be accepted.....

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## crashdive123

Gee H - tried to give you some rep for that, but I have to spread the love.

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## randyt

I tried repping Hunter too, there's a lot of wisdom in his post but then again that's Hunter

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## Rick

I tagged him for ya.

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## fjrmurph

Here is what we have here.
image.jpg

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## randyt

yup, know that one well

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## hunter63

> Here is what we have here.
> image.jpg


Is that on a oak?...Bark looks like it.......?

Oh, yeah, thanks guys.....

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## Rick

I think it's on a Quercus alba.

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## hunter63

> I think it's on a Quercus alba.


Oh, sure....had to go look that up....Bhohahaha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_alba

I tell people that I know every kind of bird there is....
Big ones....Little ones.....and Middle sized ones.....

That there tree is a medium to large one.....

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## Enigma

Cool. Totally understandable.  I'll work around your strange common names for plant life, and try to figureit out

No skin off my nose. :-)

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## fjrmurph

> Oh, sure....had to go look that up....Bhohahaha
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_alba
> 
> I tell people that I know every kind of bird there is....
> Big ones....Little ones.....and Middle sized ones.....
> 
> That there tree is a medium to large one.....


Correct
A medium to large Spruce tree .

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## wareagle69

personally I find using common name along with latin the best way to learn

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## goatgas

personally I find using common name along with latin the best way to learn 

agree

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## jdbushcraft

The name is really unimportant as long as you recognize it and know the uses.

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## kyratshooter

IMHO this falls right in there in the don't give a crap category.

The plants have been around for millions of years, humans have been using them for thousands of years, the classification system has only existed for 150 years and is only used by nerds to impress other nerds.

When I see Latin terms in use I automatically skip them and place the user in the troll category, trying to make people stop questioning his expertise.

We probably need to add a new category to the animal family; homo-sapiens-sapiens-nerd

(I cleaned that one up)

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## crashdive123

ferae mandi possunt nerd

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## DSJohnson

Dang it I was gonna give Crash some rep for his comment but I have to spread it around first!

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## hunter63

> Dang it I was gonna give Crash some rep for his comment but I have to spread it around first!


Got'em for ya.....

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## randyt

I tried to give K-rat some but it said to spread the love, I would give Crash some but someone needs to interpret the saying for me first. I'm sure it's a good one though.

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## crashdive123

Google translate is your friend.  https://translate.google.com/

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## Wild man

Is this the same type of lichen that grows in north western Montana? There is one there that is light green when fresh and chocolate brown later in the year. After wind it snow storms the deer search it out more than any other food source

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## Mazer

Usnea is common up to Alaska - You have a usnea called powdered beard lichen...to determine if it is a unseen, slowly pull it apart, check for the middle "string"

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## fjrmurph

its Spruce

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## Mazer

FYI - Spanish moss and Lace Lichen are not the same, Old Mans Beard and Usea are also not the same. It is better to use latin terminology when dealing with more that one area, they can be used worldwide, whereas local or common names can cause problems

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