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Read More about this safari issue.Lichens Along the Way
The quickest way for me to lift my spirits is to find an Arkansas trail. It could be a paved path in a downtown park, a new trail for me in the Ozarks, or a familiar route in the Ouachitas. Something about sunshine, quiet woods, and the sounds of cicadas and bullfrogs always boosts my mood.
Like many families, we went out for a First Day Hike. It was one of those unusually warm winter days that make you appreciate being outside. Because everything felt a little slower and quieter, I started noticing things I usually overlook, like green patches on logs, silvery growth on rocks and tiny, fluffy textures on tree bark and bluff walls.
On the Kings River Overlook Trail, we accidentally veered slightly off course, not exactly as planned, but enough to make us slow down and pay closer attention. Fallen trees were covered in tiny fern-like growths. Rocky edges looked dusted in seafoam green. My son and I started pointing out every fuzzy, curly, crusty, or frilly patch we could see, and they were fascinating even without a magnifying glass.
When we got home, I became curious. After some internet research, a visit to a nature center and advice from the Extension office, I found out that many of the things we observed fell into three main groups: mosses, lichens and algae. They are easy to overlook, but once you start noticing them, they can turn a simple walk into a treasure hunt.
Understanding Arkansas Forest Ground Cover
If you’re new to noticing the smaller living things on Arkansas trails, it’s best to start simple. Mosses are tiny plants that typically grow in moist, shaded areas on soil, logs, rocks and the bases of trees. Lichens are not actually plants; they are a partnership between a fungus and algae or cyanobacteria and they often grow on bark, rock and even fence posts. Algae are usually found in water and very damp places, so you might see them on slick creek rocks, wet ledges or around seeps and streams. Moss often appears soft and leafy, lichens can look crusty, papery or shrubby, and algae usually shows up as a film, stain or slippery coating.
When it comes to touching, it’s best to look first and touch lightly. A gentle touch usually won’t harm a patch of moss or lichen, but both are slow-growing and fragile, especially lichens, which may only grow about a millimeter each year. Wet rocks covered with algae can be very slippery, so exploring near the creek is safer with careful footing instead of curious fingers. Think of these as “look closely, disturb lightly” discoveries. A hand lens or magnifying glass is often more useful than using your hands.
Common Mosses in Arkansas
Moss can be one of the most challenging things to identify precisely. Experts often need close examination, live samples and even tiny reproductive structures to confidently determine a species. For most of us, it’s enough to start noticing where it grows and how it looks. Mosses thrive in shaded areas because they absorb moisture from the air and surrounding surfaces rather than pulling it up through true roots. They can dry out, turn brown and appear lifeless, but then bounce back quickly when moisture returns, even under a blanket of snow.
A few types you might notice on Arkansas trails include:
- Fern moss looks like a tiny fern and often grows on damp soil, rocks and decaying logs.
- Sheet moss is the traditional forest carpet, spreading across logs and boulders like a soft green blanket.
- Broom moss grows in thicker clumps and often looks windblown, with tiny leaves leaning in one direction.
- Tree apron moss usually clings to a tree, climbing up the bark and covering it in sections like an apron, with a wispy, feather-like pattern.
You might also notice moss at the base of trees or around roots and footings, especially in shady woods. Besides being attractive, moss helps prevent erosion, retain moisture, and provide habitat for small creatures, from insects to salamanders and even tardigrades.
Common Lichens in Arkansas
Lichens are some of the most interesting things you’ll notice once you start paying attention. They grow slowly, come in different forms and can appear on tree bark, exposed stone, soil and old wood. Basically, there are three main shapes to watch for: leaf-like lichens, crust-like lichens and shrubby lichens.
- Leaf-like lichens, known as foliose lichens, are often the easiest to identify. Common greenshield forms soft, gray-green or seafoam patches on tree bark, especially on hardwoods.
- Rock greenshield looks similar but prefers stone. Crustose lichens are the ones that appear painted or glued onto rocks, sometimes in pale green, gray orange or yellow. They cling so tightly to the surface that they can seem more like mineral stains than living things.
- Fruticose lichens are the shrubby or branching types. Reindeer lichen, sometimes called reindeer moss even though it is not a moss, forms pale, brittle clumps in thin, rocky soil and sunny openings.
Lichens are more important than most hikers realize. They help break down rock, starting the long process of soil formation. Some are sensitive to pollution, so they can also provide clues about air quality. Although they might seem like they are harming a tree, lichens usually aren’t the problem. They tend to grow on slow-growing or stressed trees, but they aren’t usually the cause of the decline.
Other Interesting Things You Might Spot in the Arkansas Outdoors
Not every strange thing on a log is moss or lichen; Arkansas trails are also full of fungi and other moisture-loving organisms.
- False turkey tail often grows in bands resembling tail feathers on decaying wood, especially stumps, and can appear green when algae grows on its surface.
- Devil’s urn, also called crater cup or black tulip, is a cup-shaped spring fungus that grows in colonies on decaying hardwood in moist woodlands.
- Witch’s butter, scientifically called Gymnosporangium effusum, a jelly-like fungus that grows on tree bark, is a fascinating find in the woods.
- Dwarf crested iris, or wild iris as we call them, forms its own carpet along trail edges throughout spring.
These are good reminders that the forest floor is busy, layered and very much alive. Much of what appears still is actually part of decomposition, renewal and habitat-building.
Trails Where You Might Start Noticing More
You don’t need a botany class to start noticing these things. You just need to slow down. Trails with bluffs, creeks, damp hollows, rocky outcrops, and old logs are great places to begin.
- Kings River Overlook Trail | Huntsville
- Yellow Rock Trail, Devil’s Den State Park | Winslow
- Lost Valley Trail, Buffalo River National Park | Ponca
- Hidden Diversity Trail, Hobbs State Park | Rogers
- Alum Cove Natural Bridge | Deer
- Devil’s Knob and Devil’s Backbone Natural Area | Melbourne/Marshall
- Blue Haze Vista Trail | Mena
- River Corridor Trail, Cossatot State Park | Wickes
- Military Road Trail, Village Creek State Park | Wynne
- Spider Creek Trail, Crowley’s Ridge State Park | Paragould
- Chalk Bluff Battlefield Park | Piggot
- Benson Creek Natural Area | Brinkley
- Signal Hill Trail, Mount Magazine | Paris
- Mirror Lake Trail, Blanchard Springs Nature Area | Mountain View
- Delta Heritage Bike Trail | Helena to McGhee
- Discovery Loop, Huckabee Nature Center | Pine Bluff
The goal isn’t to identify every species perfectly; it’s to observe more carefully. Arkansas trails show us that wonder isn’t only in the big overlooks. Sometimes, it’s hidden in a mossy log, a patch of lichen on a rock, or a damp stone beside the creek.
That is part of the fun. The more you notice, the more there is to see.
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