Selaginella wallacei

Wallace's spikemoss

A small, mat-forming spikemoss of western North America, from British Columbia to California and east to Montana. It is very plastic: in shade and moisture it spreads with forking stems to about 25 cm, while on dry, exposed rock it stays as short, dense mats. It is a temperate plant that needs cold winters and bright, airy conditions, not a warm tropical terrarium.

Selaginella wallacei — Photo: pellaea, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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

Grows on and over rocks, on rocky slopes, ledges and outcrops, in both open and shaded places and in both wet and dry sites. It can dry out and recover between rains.

Occurs from near sea level along the Pacific coast into the mountains; the sources consulted give no elevation range.

British ColumbiaWashingtonOregonCaliforniaIdahoMontana

🔒 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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 2.0 licence, unmodified.