This project seeks to ameliorate the lack of native vegetation found in global cities by culturing lichen on the sides of skyscrapers and other manmade structures. Lichen, a wonderfully adaptable plant, can grow vertically on many porous surfaces. Once propagated, it forms a protective barrier, insulating its supporting surface from harmful elements while serving to lower the cumulative temperature in metropolitan centers. This, along with the ability to withstand extreme drought, makes lichen an almost ideal form of “houseplant.” As part of AiOP: RITUAL, the Lichen for Skyscrapers Project proposes lichen planting as a new ritual for the urban dweller.