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Usnea Lichen Herb, Whole Wild-Harvested Old Man's Beard (Usnea barbata) Bulk Dried Lichen for Tea & Tincture
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$30.78 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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$30.78
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🌿 Whole Usnea Lichen Herb (Old Man's Beard)
Usnea (Usnea barbata), known affectionately as Old Man's Beard and Woman's Long Hair, is one of the most storied botanicals in the herbalist's cabinet. Our offering is the whole, wild-harvested lichen: pale, branching strands dried and sealed at the peak of freshness in a resealable pouch so each handful keeps its integrity from the first scoop to the last. On the palate and in the steam of a fresh brew, it carries a grounded profile of earth and bright citrus with a clean, faintly turnip-like finish.
Usnea has been gathered and worked for centuries across European folk herbalism and Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it is prized as a "lung and lichen" botanical for traditional immune and respiratory support, and applied externally in the old wound-care traditions. We carry it as a versatile bulk herb for tea, decoction, and craft tincturing. If you would like a tested, ready-made format, our Usnea Lichen Tincture captures the same lichen in liquid form.
Usnea is a slow-growing forest dweller that establishes only where the air is clean and undisturbed, draping the branches of healthy temperate woodlands. We wild-harvest ours in the United States from exactly those settings, gathering it where it naturally flourishes and drying it whole to preserve its structure and aromatics. It is a botanical that rewards being met on its own terms, and our sourcing follows the plant to where it grows best.
Radical transparency is how we earn your trust on every lot. Each batch we ship is verified by its own Certificate of Analysis for purity, potency, and the absence of contaminants. You can review the full historical batch record, along with detailed preparation notes, on our Usnea COA and use guide, and explore complementary botanicals in our Immune Support collection.
🍃 From the Sacred Plant Co Farm
Sacred Plant Co is a soil-first farm. Our own farm in Colorado earned a groundbreaking Haney Soil Health Score of 25.4, a number that surpasses the soil biology measured in pristine forest land. That score is the heart of who we are. We believe healthier soil grows more complex, more potent plants, and that philosophy is the reason we hold every herb we carry to the same biological and per-lot testing standards.
🌱 Ways Herbalists Reach for Usnea
🌬️ Immune & Respiratory Tradition
A classic of European and Chinese herbal practice, traditionally simmered into teas and decoctions during the cooler seasons.
🌿 Topical Wound-Care Heritage
Long used externally in folk traditions, the whole strands lend themselves to infused oils, salves, and washes.
🫙 Craft Tincturing & Tea
Whole-strand form gives you full control for decoctions and double-extraction tinctures. Our Usnea tincture recipe walks you through it.
Product Specifications
| At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Usnea barbata |
| Common Names | Usnea Lichen, Old Man's Beard, Woman's Long Hair |
| Format | Whole, dried strands |
| Available Weights | 1/2 lb, 1 lb, 5 lb bulk |
| Tasting Notes | Earth, Citrus, Turnip |
| Grade | Premium, Wild-Harvested |
| Testing Status | COA-verified, per lot |
| Country of Origin | United States |
Safety & Considerations
Whole Usnea has a long record of measured traditional use. The liver-related cautions sometimes attached to usnea trace back to studies on isolated, concentrated usnic acid (notably in certain weight-loss products), not to the whole lichen prepared in customary tea or tincture amounts. As with any potent botanical, more is not better: large or raw quantities can irritate the digestive tract.
We recommend against internal use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, where safety data is limited. Anyone with a liver condition or taking liver-affecting medication should consult a qualified practitioner before internal use. With topical use, a small number of people may experience contact sensitivity, so patch testing is sensible. If any reaction occurs, discontinue use.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before use.
Our 100% Money-Back Guarantee
Our policy is simple: if you aren't happy, send it back and receive a full refund. Anytime, for any reason.
🌿 Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prepare whole Usnea lichen for tea?
We recommend a gentle decoction. Add about one to two teaspoons of the dried lichen per cup of water, bring it to a low simmer, and let it steep covered for 15 to 20 minutes before straining. Many herbalists also craft a double extraction, simmering the lichen in water and then steeping it in alcohol, since some of its compounds release more fully that way. Our whole-strand format gives you the flexibility to brew it either way.
Where does your Usnea come from, and is it wild-harvested?
Usnea thrives in clean, undisturbed air, growing slowly on the branches of temperate forests where the environment is healthy enough to support it. We wild-harvest ours in the United States from exactly those settings, then dry and seal it whole to hold its character. Every lot we ship is backed by per-batch lab work, which you can review on our COA and use guide, and by our 100% money-back guarantee.
I have seen warnings about usnea and the liver. Should I be concerned?
Those warnings trace back to studies on isolated, concentrated usnic acid, often in weight-loss products, rather than the whole lichen used in traditional tea and tincture amounts. Whole Usnea has a long history of measured use in European and Chinese herbal traditions. We still recommend that anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, has a liver condition, or takes liver-affecting medication speak with a qualified practitioner before internal use.
What happens if I am not happy with my Usnea?
Our policy is simple: if you aren't happy, send it back and receive a full refund. Anytime, for any reason.
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