Braun’s Spikemoss

Looking great new in the woodland garden now is the evergreen Selaginella braunii. Native to ten provinces in Southern China, this evergreen spikemoss can either grow in the ground (terrestrial), or as an epilith (on rocks), but always as a xerophyte (adapted to the driest of conditions), and always below 5,500′ elevation. The plants slowly expand by short underground rhizomes, but about the best I’ve seen is a 3′ wide patch in ten years, and the mature height is usually 1′, so it makes a superb groundcover. In the coldest part of winter, the foliage takes on a bronze cast. As a garden designer, I find the texture excellent to contrast against more broad foliage woodlanders like hosta, podophyllum, and rohdea. It’s namesake was 19th century German botanist/pteridologist Dr. Alexander Braun. Winter hardiness is Zone 6a-9b.