Staghorn Clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ly-koh-POH-de-um KLAV-ah-tum
- Description
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Running Clubmoss is an evergreen, native, fern-like, herbacious pernnial in the club moss family. Although classified as a fern, it is not a true fern, but instead a member of the club moss family. It reproduces by spores, with sporangia found on its cones or leaf axils. Running Clubmoss has a horizontal, arching stem and branched fertile stems heavily covered in linear leaves. It also has upright branches 6 to 8 inches tall that mark this species. Running Clubmoss is sometimes found in road banks, open forests, and, occasionally, in the mountains of North Carolina at elevations of 4000 feet or more. It is classified as a plant vulnerable to extinction in the state. The genus name comes from the Greek words lykos meaning wolf and podion meaning foot in reference to some purported resemblance to a wolf’s foot.
Running Clubmoss does best in partial shade and can do quite well with only 2 hours of sunlight a day. It prefers moist, acidic soil, but tolerates dry soil. It has the reputation as a plant that is difficult to grow.
Running Clubmoss is not recommended for the home landscape. Club moss as a genus are extremely slow growing plants and may take up to 20 years to make another mature plant from spore production and spreading. In the past, club mosses have been used as garland for Christmas decorations. However, because of their slow growth they should not be harvested. Additionally, they do not transplant well. Therefore, it is best to appreciate these beautiful, evergreen ground covers in their natural habitats.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Lycopodium
- Species:
- clavatum
- Family:
- Lycopodiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Spores have been used as a powder for infants and to protect raw skin. It has been used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, as animal food, an ornamental plant and a medicine.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Alaska, Canada, south to Georgia and west to California.
- Distribution:
- Worldwide in the northern hemisphere, northern South America, and eastern Africa.
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant attracts mammals.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Creeping
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Spores cones are 2-6 inches tall and yellow-green. They display from July to September.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No flowers. The plant reproduces by spores.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Spreading, ascending needle or scale-like leaves on the distal third of the branches.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Horizontal stems on substrate surface with clusters of upright shoots and a dominant main shoot with 3 to 6 branches mostly in lower half of the plant.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
