Is lichen good, bad, are indifferent?

kompik

I recently cut down a big hawthorn in my back yard (I don't know if they're all like this, but the ones in my yard have 4" long thorns - yikes!), and admired some of the contorted branches covered by a spattering of lichen and thought to myself "maybe I could have air-layered some of these for bonsai." Then I started to wonder, is lichen on bonsai a good thing or a bad thing? It's a nice way to make the tree look old, but would the tree's health suffer?

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Graydon

I believe the tree suffers no ill effects. I have an old deodar cedar that is covered in the stuff. Looks nice and can convey age.

You should try an air layer on the haw. It's my understanding they layer well.

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rockm

Lichen isn't a parasite. It doesn't harm your tree. It should be encouraged--or rather left alone. It conveys age to a tree and is basically irreplaceable once you've removed it.