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Species library › Selaginella › Selaginella eremophila
Terrarium Well documented

Selaginella eremophila

Desert spikemoss

A mat-forming resurrection spikemoss of the Colorado (Sonoran) Desert where California, Arizona and Baja California meet. It hides in shaded, north-facing crevices and at the bases of granite boulders, greening after winter rain and curling up dry through the long hot summer. It is not a closed-terrarium plant: grow it in a bright, airy rock garden or pan with a wet cool season and a dry rest.

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

Sandy and rocky desert ground, especially the shaded north side of granitic boulders, canyon walls and rocky slopes. Labels read 'steep, north-facing bank of canyon, base of or beneath boulders', 'shaded rocky outcrop' and 'rocky granitic canyon'. The plant forms dense mats of small, forking, bristle-tipped stems.

Herbarium specimens run from about 270 m to 1,300 m, in the low desert and its bordering ranges (Santa Rosa, Jacumba, Orocopia and Tierra Blanca Mountains).

CaliforniaArizonaBaja California

🔒 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

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