Lichen

I went to Dawyck Botanic Garden in the Scottish Borders with a friend today. We had gone mainly to see the snowdrops which were at their height, but it was a dull day so we weren't seeing them to their best advantage.

Dawyck is famous for its trees which include huge conifers and giant redwoods. Although it has a harsh and relatively dry climate which engenders slow growth, this leads over time to sturdier, longer-lived specimens. We were fascinated by the lichens which festoon many of the trees and we ended up being more captivated by them than by the snowdrops.

Here's a link to the website for Dawyck if you want to see more of the garden. Incidentally, it's pronounced "doik".