I must confess that I am a little doubtful that my Selaginella plants that you can see in my photograph above are actually true Selaginella apoda.  However, for more than three years I’ve seen exactly the same type of Selaginella on sale at various nurseries and chains of garden centres and all of the plants were labelled as Selaginella apoda – and so I may well be wrong and this maybe the correct name for this plant.  In my plant description here, I’m referring to how I’ve found the Selaginella plants I’ve bought as Selaginella apoda and how the plants pictured above have grown for me.  The common name for Selaginella apoda is Meadow Spike Moss.

Selaginella apoda is a very pretty Selaginella with a delightfully bushy habit and masses upon masses of tiny and very beautiful leaves.  It’s Selaginella apoda’s gorgeous dainty foliage which give these plants their intricate appearance and inimitable elegance that I particularly admire.  Take a closer look at Selaginella apoda, and you’ll see the combination of so many delicate leaves together in an adorable lacy mound is utterly charming.  My plants have all formed gorgeous green mounds that really enhance my terrariums and bottle gardens.

This is a superb terrarium plant that resembles attractive mossy hummocks.  Selaginella apoda have a natural creeping habit and will spread to form low-growing, undulating mats that can easily be accommodated inside any terrarium.  Selaginella apoda won’t grow above 15cm (6inches) tall but the plants will keep spreading and growing out from all sides.

Selaginella apoda don’t want to sit in a puddle of water but they also don’t want to be left to dry out.  Irrigate Selaginella apoda little and often, taking care to check the moisture levels in the soil around your plant’s roots before you water; only water again when the soil has started to dry out.  Selaginella apoda require consistently moist compost, so check these plants regularly.   .

My plants flourish under bright but indirect light.  Avoid growing Selaginella apoda anywhere that’s exposed to afternoon sunshine, which is more intense than morning sunlight.  Direct sunlight can scorch Selaginella apoda’s foliage, so choose a position where your plant will enjoy bright but soft lighting.

Selaginella apoda thrive in a humid environment and flourish with regular misting.  To see my Planting List for Terrariums and Bottle Gardens, please click here.

To read articles I’ve written about my terrariums and bottle gardens, please click here.

To see more houseplant pages with pictures and information on growing a wide range of indoor plants, please click here.

To read articles about houseplants, please click here.

To see all of my plant pages, please click here.

Articles that mention Selaginella apoda:

• Oct. 2023 – Trialling the new BiOrb AIR 30: take a tour of my newest terrarium!
• Oct. 2023 – My Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Terrariums & Bottle Gardens!