Selaginella helvetica

Swiss spikemoss

A tiny, evergreen, creeping spikemoss from the mountains of central and southern Europe across to East Asia. It forms flat mats 1–5 cm high in sparse, base-rich grassland, on rocks, walls and banks. It is a hardy temperate plant that needs a cold winter, so it is better in a shaded alpine trough or cool terrarium than a warm tropical one.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

A creeping lycophyte of gappy, usually base-rich dry and lean grassland, rocky outcrops, old walls, embankments and stream sides. It grows among low grasses in half shade, on soil that is moist but dries somewhat between rains.

In Europe mostly below 1000 m, occasionally up to about 2100 m in the Swiss Alps. GBIF records span 165–4537 m; the top of that range comes from the Himalayan part of the range and may include errors.

Central and southern EuropeCaucasus and TürkiyeIranHimalaya and TibetSiberia and MongoliaChina, Korea and JapanRussian Far East

🔒 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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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.