Rock Spike-moss
Selaginella rupestris
Not a moss but a spikemoss, an ancient lycophyte that reproduces by spores. It forms tight grey-green mats over bare rock, curling shut and going dormant in drought, then greening within hours of rain. Excellent in the hot dry crevices of a rock garden or a green roof.
- Family
- Selaginellaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 0.1–0.3 ft
- Spacing
- 0.5–1.5 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Landscape uses
- groundcover, erosion control
- Native states
- AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY