Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Spike Moss and Fern Allies

Back in March when I attended the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show I purchased a sweet little plant called spike moss. This was the not the first time I had purchased this plant though. I bought it two years ago for my woodland garden. It lasted quite a long time but finally died out. Not to be dissuaded from this neat little plant I figured I'd give it another try. Hey, two times is the charm right?

I don't know much about the spike moss but thought I'd share a picture with you and what little I do know of it. Rose had asked for me to share it at some point when I posted about my purchases back in March, so here you go Rose.

If you look at it closely it resembles an evergreen. It is really quite a beautiful little ground cover. My Southern Living Garden Book categorizes this moss as a 'moss like ground cover'. It is in the same group as mosses commonly called Irish, Club, and Scotch moss (Selaginella kraussiana-not the Sagina subulata but a different kind of Irish and Scotch moss). Who knew there were so many different kinds of non mosses? I believe my variety of spike moss is either Selaginella apoda (Meadow spike moss), but I cannot be sure since the only label that came with it said 'spike moss'. Please don't hold me to this Latin identification. If you know for sure what type it is, do let me know. All I am sure of is that it is in the Selaginella family.

Spike moss is not actually a moss but it does reproduce in the same way (by shedding spores). I think the distinction between true mosses and the spike moss is the fact that true mosses do not have a vascular system and the spike moss does have a vascular system. Spike moss can be found growing in the same habitat as both mosses and ferns; hence it is considered a fern ally. A good thing since my yard is just about perfect for mosses and ferns.

I planted my new specimen in a different spot than the I did the first time around hoping that will be the ticket to its long term survival. The nursery woman said all it needs to grow well is a moist soil. I have just the site for it too. On the north side of my deck where no sun ever shines there is a moist area where astilbes, hostas, ligularias, pulmonarias, and camelias grow.... Oh sorry, thinking of where the deer and the buffalo roam. The spike moss is doing great!

This moss started life in a four inch pot and is now at least 12" in diameter. It is full and lush and I've not had to add any additional water to it (even before all the great rains came). It makes a super good companion for the white astilbe in this location as the spike moss grows around the astilbe's feet while blocking all weeds and providing a great foil for the astilbe.

An interesting tidbit about selaginellas (courtesy of Wiki) says that many selaginellas are known as resurrection plants in the desert. They curl up in times of no rain then plump up and turn green when moisture is plentiful.

That is all I know about spike moss and now you all know too. Ever heard of it before? Or know that Irish and Scotch mosses are not actually mosses at all?

in the garden....

31 comments:

  1. Your Spike Moss looks very pretty. It's quite amusing - describing something as a non moss - as if the poor little plant had nothing positive going for it :-)

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  2. I have not heard of it, but know I would like it. I love moss type plants! Thanks for the good info Tina!

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  3. I love club mosses, I didn't know what they were until I looked them up, describing them as tiny evergreen trees!! I read that clubmoss spores were used as pyrotechnics. They are so flammable, they catch of fire as they are propelled through their air. Beautiful plants!!

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  4. Interesting plant -- especially the part about how it curls up and survives in the desert. -Jackie

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  5. Good Morning Tina. I really like the looks of your neat little plant. I wonder if that is something like what they sell as resurrection plants. I had one of those one time & they do curl up when the air is dry. I wouldn't mind it in my garden but alas it wouldn't make it here.

    Anonymous, Skeeter, Dawn, Jean & Nina. I hope you all have a beautiful day.

    Sun coming through the trees making for a pretty pattern on the ground. Low 70's here. No rain in a couple days.

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  6. Looks neat! Moss like plants are very cool.

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  7. It's really pretty, very dainty. I'd love to be able to grow it under my hostas and gingers but the moist soil requirement is a deal breaker here. Seems like it will be a quick spreader and easy to move around to cover more area.
    Marnie

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  8. This is new to me, so I'll be waiting on updates from you! LOL

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  9. It certainly is pretty! And unusual too...--Randy

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  10. It looks like the spikie sedam I have but those don't branch off, pretty neat. I love anything that is mossy.

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  11. I like mosses in general and this one is really cute (even if it isn't truly a moss). If I really r4eally like a plant, I try it many times. I can't tell you the bad luck I've had with both lupines and delphiniums, but I keep trying because I love them. I also haven't had luck with sea holly, but I'm going to try that again, too!

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  12. Hi Tina, we have some Selaginella in the LG and our agent has a lot of it in his backyard. We have Peacock fern...really neat color varieations. I have a new appreciation for mosses and ferns.

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  13. Easygardener, I know poor old thing that it can't be a moss but I think it will have an identity crisis if it gets called a moss too many times so I had to make sure everyone knew.:)

    Linda, This is a most beautiful one. I've read it called arborvitae moss and doesn't it look like one? It is fun.

    Lzyjo, I did not know that about the spores. Very interesting indeed! These are really little known plants and are fun for sure. Thanks so much for the info. I need to be sure to keep my teenaged son away from them when they are shedding those spores:)

    Jackie, It is most interesting. Very adaptable. I hope mine stays around this time.

    Lola, It might be in the same family. I remember those in the stores! Those and air plants. Too fun!

    Dave, With all the shade here I've resigned myself to switch to the mosses and ferns and shade lovers. Good thing they are beautiful too.

    Marnie, I think I may be splitting this one and spreading it around. I simply love it. It would make a very nice bed for a some toad or frog or bunny-which seems to like my garden. Urrr!

    Darla, I'll let you all know. In fact I owe a bunch of updates on some things-soon I hope.

    Jamie and Randy, Yes indeed, I like the unusual. Most gardeners want to be different and that is me for sure.

    Dawn, This is a most wonderful little plant. I am fascinated by it and so hope it sticks around.

    Monica, You are one hardy gardener then. I usually give something 3 times if I really like it. If I don't really like it then two times the charm. Though for this moss I may make an exception. Hang in there with the lupines and delphiniums. They are coming out with newer breeds all the time that are more adaptable.

    Janet, Peacock fern (moss) is also in the selaginella family! Too cool! They are so neat. Does your agent say anything new and different about them that the book does not say? I'd like to know how he got them spread about his backyard and it it took a long time? I bet his yard is most pretty and soft.

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  14. What a darling plant! It would look wonderful in my shady area by the patio. But too bad we have many droughts in this area and it would be mostly a resurrection mossy fern then. I have some resurrection fern growing wild on a tree by the patio. I believe I showed it to you when you were here but cannot remember, You know that age and memory thing :-) Anyway, it does curl up and looks “dead as a door nail”, Southern term here... Then once rain or I give water from the hose, she perks back up fresh and full of green! It totally amazes me how it does that.

    Lola, it is a beautiful day full of sunshine today but will be steamy soon so I must get my errands done before the heat of the day sets in...

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  15. Don't know much about moss but your plant is very pretty! Amazing how it adapts itself to its surroundings.

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  16. Sounds and looks like a good plant to have around so hope it stays for a long time and spreads well. Sounds like it has already spread well so maybe you arre on you way to a long and happy life with it!

    Thanks for the phone message and I will check it out (I was tied up with the cats), sorry I missed you.

    Monica, I had tried Lupines many times with no luck and was so upset as I love them and my great state of Maine is full of them all over the place as they grow wild. Winter before last I started some from seed in the house and when Tina was here she planted them in my front garden and oh my, the were the thugs of the world this year. I had to dig them out and now have planted them around our pool and the at the back edge of the lawn. If you want some seeds from them email Tina with your address and I will send them to you.

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  17. It's just beautiful, and sounds like it's forgiving too. That's just what I need at the feet of my astilbe. I love a moist shady woodland garden, this would be a perfect new addition.

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  18. I think I may have some of this moss growing on the northeast corner of the house close to a downspout. I didn't plant it. It must have come as a passenger on another plant, probably a fern I planted nearby. You're right; it is a pretty little thing.

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  19. Skeeter, I can't remember if you showed me the Resurrection fern or not. Hmmmm, mayhap my memory is going too? I hate to tell you this but 'dead as a doornail' is a northern thing too, maybe even national:) A good saying indeed.

    Kanak, Do you have a lot of mosses in India? Oftentimes I know nothing of the plants you post about so I'm wondering if it is the same for you? That teasle gourd is cool.

    Mom, I'll get in touch with Monica. I'm sure she'd love some seeds. She was the one who sponsored the seed swap this year and it was a great success. I think her yard has a bit more shade than yours but it won't hurt to try.

    Megan, Keep an eye out for it. I find it neat and the only place I've found it was at the Lawn and Garden show. Maybe nurseries carry it but I'm not sure.

    W2W, Lucky you! It is such a pretty green and makes one feel cool-even during the dog days of summer; which have finally reached Tennessee. I want the northern weather back again:)

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  20. That is really pretty, I wish I had a place for it to grow! Maybe in a large whiskey barrel planter that I have some shade lovers in.

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  21. It's very nice, Tina. I'd never heard of that plant before, though Sagina subulata always catches my eye in catalogs. I'll have to add some near mosses when my trees grow!

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  22. Hi Tina, I am glad you are giving this another try. So far I cannot get it to overwinter in the ground, but grow it in pots and bring it into the greenhouse with the orchids to overwinter. It seems to like that and is left outside for the summer in part shade. Even without extra water, the little pots are overflowing with it. It may be that our winters are too wet for it.
    Frances

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  23. Well, I certainly learned something new today! Thanks for all the info and the link love, Tina. In the photo it reminds me a little of some angelina that Beckie gave me. This would look pretty next to some ferns.

    I would have been here earlier this morning, but my monitor suddenly conked out on me--I swear computers aren't made to last more than a couple years!

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  24. Tina, I believe the Saint can tell us where to saying comes from! lol

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  25. Tina -that moss is pretty indeed. I think it would be a great hiding spot for critters:) Gosh, that's all I talk about these days with the boys, hahaha. Boy 2 caught another big frog tonight. Sidekick has been catching like one little frog every night at Cross Country practice. They are the best pets -we've been practicing the catch and release method since it's better for the froggies:0) Lots of rain here tonight -the yard will grow back from hubby's major haircut he gave it last weekend, hehehe.

    Hi Skeeter -my hubby can get the BBQ anytime he wants but still buys it in bulk and freezes for when he wants a "good" sandwich, rofl. He gets it from a Shell station out the other side of town --they have stacks of wood so it's smoked really well -excellent flavor.

    Hi Jean, Lola, Dawn and Nina --the school bells will be ringing for us this week. Summer went too fast! Have a good week!

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  26. I really like the soft-looking texture of the spike moss. I was surprised that there are so many species of these. Gosh, you could do a whole spike moss collection...

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  27. I don't think I'd heard of spike moss before. It's lovely.

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  28. I have four of them. It's nice to know that they will shed spores, because I want to have more of them! They look great near the charcoal stepping stones. Thank you, Tina!

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  29. Anonymous, is that shell station on Excell Road by any chance in Sango area? That is where we get ours and the best ever. Tell the kiddos I have a snake friend. He has been in the same planter for two days now. A tiny garter snake but no pics as he is a quick one on the belly. lol. Enjoy those kiddoes as soon it will be back to school...

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  30. Thanks Tina, I am glad you shared this post about moss! Now I am going to be on the look-out for this.
    Rosey

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  31. I love butterflys !!! summer is so wonderful and so coloured, liebe Grüße von Kathrin

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