Has your child, or other junior wargamer, asked the ultimate question? Where does Lichen come from? Foregoing the cute answers -- "From the hobby shop" or "from Norway like it says on the box," you may remember from High School Biology that lichen is one of those symbiotic species in between fungus and moss. You may not have realized that the stuff battleground "woods" are made of grows naturally right here in the U.S. As an HMGS member who spent a good amount of time living South of the Mason-Dixon, I can tell you where to find it.

Where does Lichen come from?

Lichen grows on the ground, on decaying logs, and on pine straw (needles) in areas with high humidity. Low lying pine woods near swampy areas, such as are found in central South Carolina, are an ideal place to find lichen growing on the ground in lumps from 1" to 18" in diameter. Another clue lichen is nearby may be the sight of Spanish Moss hanging in the trees. Don't look for the dark green stuff found in hobby shops. Lichen is naturally very light green when dry and light green when moist. So, next time you're visiting the Southeast, or passing through, and you stop at a roadside resting area, take a look at what's in the woods and you could harvest all the "woods" you need. (Disclaimer: Leave your small dog or cat in the car, and make some noise going in since there are snakes and alligators in some of these areas!)

Preparing the Lichen

OK, now you have a garbage bag full of Lichen. What next? If you try to keep it wet for long periods, it will eventually rot and disintegrate. If you let it dry out, it will crumble and disintegrate. You need to make a trip to the drug store and buy a couple items. Find a bottle of liquid glycerine (the chemical used in soap to soften skin) and a box of green dye (and brown, yellow, or red if you want Fall colors). Mix by volume 20% water to 80% Glycerine (1 part to 4 parts ratio) and mix in the dye. Put in the batches of lichen pressed down and covered by the liquid mixture and allow to soak for several hours. Then take out the lichen and allow to drain overnight. The glycerine mix can be re-used immediately for another batch or stored indefinitely in a jar.

Once drained and allowed to air dry overnight, your lichen is ready for use. It can spend days on the battlefield or years in a big zip-lock plastic bag. It can be torn into smaller pieces as needed to make heavy or light woods, swamps, or other rough terrain. Enjoy!

Fun With Chemistry: Part 1 Make Your Own Stuff