Fungus
Common Orange Lichen
Xanthoria parietinaAlso known as Yellow Wall Lichen, Maritime Sunburst Lichen, Common Orange Wall Lichen
Common orange lichen forms vivid, leafy rosettes that cling tightly to tree bark, stone walls, and coastal rocks across the globe. Its bright orange hue intensifies with exposure to sunlight, serving as a natural sunscreen compound called parietin that protects its algal partner. Remarkably tolerant of heavy metals and airborne nitrogen pollution, this lichen thrives near farms and urban areas where few other species can survive.
LichensNitrophilousColorful
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (photosynthetic symbiosis)
Predators
- Slugs
- Snails
- Mites
ThreatsHabitat destruction and removal of substrate structures
HabitatsTree bark, stone walls, coastal rocks, wooden fences, urban structures
Life span10–30 years
Classification
- OrderTeloschistales
- FamilyTeloschistaceae
- GenusXanthoria
- SpeciesXanthoria parietina
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Substrate Inspection: Look for small cup-like apothecia fruiting bodies near the rosette center.
- Light Observation: Note how specimens in deep shade appear green, while sunny ones turn bright orange.
Frequent Companion (c) Stephen Thorpe, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Stephen Thorpe · cc-by
Image unavailableSymbiont 
Close Relative Jason Hollinger (original photograph), Papa Lima Whiskey (derivative edit) / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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