Alectoria ochroleuca

Search arctic, alpine, and other cold exposed habitats, where it commonly grows on the ground among low vegetation. It is not primarily a leafy bark lichen, so open heath, tundra, and high-elevation ground are more relevant than sheltered forest trunks.

It is typically pale yellow to yellow-green, with hair-like branching strands. The pale fruticose form contrasts with the dark brown strands of Bryoria fuscescens.

It is commonly a ground-growing fruticose lichen in cold, exposed landscapes. Its narrow branches spread among low plants rather than forming a leafy thallus attached centrally to rock.

Alectoria ochroleuca is associated mainly with arctic and alpine ground habitats, while Alectoria sarmentosa is widely known as a pale, hanging tree lichen in forest. Their contrasting substrates and growth positions are useful first clues when separating them.