- Other Names
- Thallus Usnea, Beard Lichen, Witch’s Broom, Old man’s beard, Usnee barbue, Barbe de capucin, Bartflechte, Song Luo, Chung Lo
- Habitat & Location
- Grows on trees throughout the world but generally prefers pine, spruce, junipers, and firs or hardwoods like oak, hickory, walnut, apple, pear etc.
- Herbal Actions
- Antimicrobial, Antiviral, Antibiotic, Antifungal, Antibacterial, Antiprotozoan, Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Antimitotic, Antineoplastic (cancer), Antioxidant, Antiparasitic, Antiproliferative (cancer), Antiprotozoal, Antiseptic, Drug synergist, Immunostimulant, Inhibitor in biofilm formation.
- Energetics
- Cooling & Drying, Sweet & Bitter.
- Qualities
- Calming, Relaxing, Stimulating.
- Systems, Organs, & Tissues
- Respiratory System & Immune System.
- Warnings
- Readily absorbs heavy metals, be careful where you harvest it and at least 300 ft from roads, factories, and polluted areas.
- Should not be used internally during pregnancy.
- May cause contact dermatitis.
- Parts Used
- Whole Lichen
- Dosage & Preparations
- Tincture:
- 2-3 droppers full diluted in water or tea, taken three times a day. Usnea should be used on a short-term basis and can be very drying to the sinuses.
- Tea:
- 1 tsp herb with 6oz hot water; let steep for 20 min.
- *For acute conditions drink up to 1 quart a day.
- *For disease prevention or immune stimulation drink 2-6oz up to 3x daily.
- *Usnea is only partially water soluble to strengthen, grind the herb and add enough alcohol to wet the herb and let it sit for 30 min to an hour before steeping in hot water for 15-30 min.
- Nasal Spray:
- 10 drops of tincture with water in a 1oz spray bottle. Use as needed for bacterial infections of the nose and sinuses.
- Indications
- Boils / Carbuncles
- Bacterial & Fungal Infections (esp. respiratory, intestinal, urinary with fever, including: flu, cold, sinusitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia (initial phase), pleurisy, lung TB, gastroenteritis, dermatitis, dysentery, thrush, ringworm, impetigo, cystitis, urethritis, athlete’s foot, trichomonas)
- Fevers
- Bronchitis (acute / chronic) / Asthma
- Wounds / Ulcers / Eczema
- Cervical Erosion / Cracked Nipples / Mastitis
- Research, Lore, & Magic
- Active against primarily gram positive bacteria, but also, resistant and nonresistant strains:
- Bacillus megaterium
- Baccillus subtilis
- Bacteroides spp.
- Clostridium spp.
- Corynebacterium diptheriae
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Enterococcus faecium
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Micrococcus viridans
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Propionbacterium acnes
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Staphylococcus simulans
- Streptococcus faecalis
- Streptococcus mutans
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- It is active against a number of viruses including: herpes simplex, polyoma virus, Junin virus, Tacaribe virus, and Epstein-Barr.
- It is active against a number of parasitical disease organisms: Typanosoma cruzi, Echinococcus granulosus (and it’s cysts), and Toxoplasma gondii.
- It is active against a number of yeasts: Malassezia yease, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, and several Candida species.
- It is active against a number of cancer cell lines: lung & breast cancer, malignant mesothelioma cells, and vulvar carcinoma cells.
- In a 1993 study, it was found that Usnea was superior to Phenylbutazone and Hydrocortisone in anti-inflammatory activity.
- Usnic acid is more effective against some bacterial strains that even penicillin and can completely inhibit the growth of different strains of TB. It ranked third behind norstictic acid and diffractaic acid against drug resistant strains of TB.
- It is also active against MRSA.
- Sodium usnate is used in China against pulmonary TB and 24 out of 30 cases were cured after 71 days.
- Inhibits HIV-1 and 2 integrase and mammalian topoisomerases I.
- A fungal strain found on Usnea (Corynespora species) has been found to be cytotoxic against breast and prostate cancer cell lines.
- Active against primarily gram positive bacteria, but also, resistant and nonresistant strains:
- Notes
- Usnea in tincture form combined with immune stimulants, such as Echinacea and Spilanthes, for upper and lower respiratory infections.
- Usnea is more effective as a tincture rather than tea when treating infections, as its anti-microbial properties are more alcohol soluble.
- It’s possible that it may be a heartworm medicines for wolves in the wild.
- Sources
- The modern Herbal Dispensatory by Thomas Easley & Steven Horne
- The Energetics of Western Herbalism by Peter Holmes
- Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner
- The Fungal Pharmacy by Robert Rogers, RH (AHG)