Selaginella aitchisonii

A small, cold-hardy rock spikemoss of the dry mountains of Central Asia, from Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan through Kashmir and Tibet to northern China. It grows on cliffs and rocky slopes at about 1000–3000 m, where winters are bitterly cold and dry. It suits a trough or alpine house, not a humid terrarium.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

It grows on cliffs and in rock crevices in dry mountain valleys. Its stems are slender, erect and 10–25 cm tall, and its branches are dichotomously compound.

The measured sites are 1080–2130 m, and a Kashmir label gives 3048 m.

AfghanistanPakistanIndiaKyrgyzstanChinaTibetNepalMongolia

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Selaginella aitchisonii? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Selaginella

Selaginella apoda Selaginella lepidophylla Selaginella tortipila Selaginella ciliaris Selaginella moellendorffii Selaginella deflexa Selaginella kraussiana Selaginella selaginoides Selaginella stellata Selaginella uliginosa Selaginella australiensis Selaginella brisbanensis All 765 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.