Cladina evansii, Drought Resilient Attractive Lichen Roof Plant

Botanical name : Cladina evansii

Cladina evansii

Deer moss or Deer lichen

Family/Famille : Cladoniaceae

Coquina shell walls were commonly used in coastal Florida by the French, Spanish and British plantation owners.  Oyster shells were collected and mixed with sand and water to form a slurry that was poured into wooden forms, creating strong, pure white walls once bleached by the sun.

Cedar and juniper grow in groves in the coastal floodplain and these trees were cut for roof planking.  Large plantations across Florida, Georgia and the coastal Carolinas usually grew rice or sugarcane.  The photos here are of slave cabin walls on the Kingsley Plantation, just north of Jacksonville, Florida.

Deer moss or Deer lichen, Cladina evansii, as shown here would have covered the plantation roofs, creating a true nature irrigated, native plant green roof.

Cladina evansii is reportedly an indicator of clean air as it does not tolerate high levels of CO2 or smog and is not often found in the Urban Core.

Deer lichen can tolerate intense sunlight, wind and drought.  We are only aware of a few field trials on Green Roofs and will publish additional information as it becomes available.

Ethnobotanically, many Cladina species are edible and have been used for medicine by endemic peoples.

Kingsley Plantation Coquina Walls

Kingsley Plantation Coquina Walls

Kingsley Plantation Cedar Shake Roof with Deer Lichen

Kingsley Plantation Cedar Shake Roof with Deer Lichen