The post-fire colonization of a Quercus ilex forest by epiphytic lichens has been studied in Catalonia (NE Spain), eleven years after a fire. Specific richness and lichen biomass have been studied separately on Quercus ilex, Erica arborea, Rosmarinus officinalis. and Cistus albidus, to reveal possible differences among phorophytes in facilitating lichen establishment. Shrubs play an important role in colonization by common species whereas the stools of Quercus ilex offer a suitable substratum for rarer species. Cistus albidus, with the highest lichen diversity and 98·2% of the total biomass of macrolichens, is the most suitable phorophyte for lichen establishment.