Bushy beard lichen

Description:

Also called Old Man's Beard, shrubby (fruticose) lichen, dark yellowish green to gray-green, with a bristly appearance, growing on deciduous trees and shrubs in mostly well-lit habitats, often with large, fruiting cups (apothecia) on the ends (terminal) of the lichen branches.

Habitat:

North Carolina woods. It is especially well developed when growing on trees near creeks and rivers.