Selaginella apoda

Meadow Spikemoss

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

Shop Available Selaginella
Write a review
| 1 answered question

Item #: 7655

Zones: 5a to 9b, guessing

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 2" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: United States

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


(aka: Lycopodioides apodum) We're known for selling esoteric plants, so here's another. Selaginella apoda is one of those native plants (moist meadows and stream banks from Rhode Island south to Mexico) that just doesn't get any respect. That's often what happens when you have no flowers, no leaves, and not much in the way of roots. To say Selaginella apoda is new, however, would be a grand understatement since it was named by the granddaddy of taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus back in 1753...although as a lycopodium. Selaginella apoda makes a very low-growing 2" tall groundcover that resembles a discarded mass of mangled green pipe-cleaners. It's best planted in moist, organic woodland soils, although it's really thrived in our half day sun rock garden. We have found this to be one of the best performing garden selaginellas we grow...splendid as a woodland groundcover.