Spikemoss: The Ancient Ground Cover You Didn’t Know You Had
Ever notice those tiny, moss-like plants carpeting shady spots in your garden or along woodland paths? There’s a good chance you’re looking at spikemoss (Selaginella), one of nature’s most overlooked ground covers. Despite its common name, this little green wonder isn’t actually a moss at all – it’s something far more ancient and fascinating.
What Exactly Is Spikemoss?
Spikemoss belongs to an ancient group of plants called lycopods, making it more closely related to ferns than to true mosses. These perennial plants are living fossils, with relatives that dominated prehistoric landscapes millions of years ago. Think of them as the humble descendants of giant club mosses that once towered over dinosaurs!
What makes spikemoss special is its unique growth habit. Unlike true mosses, spikemoss has a proper vascular system – tiny internal plumbing that moves water and nutrients throughout the plant. This allows it to grow larger and more robust than its moss cousins, forming dense, carpet-like mats that can spread across forest floors and shaded garden areas.
Where You’ll Find Spikemoss
Spikemoss has an impressively wide native range across North America. You can find native species from the chilly reaches of Alaska and northern Canada all the way down to the southern United States. It’s naturally present in most U.S. states and Canadian provinces, making it a true continental native.
This extensive distribution tells us something important: spikemoss is incredibly adaptable and plays a valuable role in diverse ecosystems across the continent.
How to Identify Spikemoss
Spotting spikemoss in your garden is easier once you know what to look for:
- Tiny scale-like leaves: The leaves are much smaller than regular plant leaves and overlap like roof shingles
- Low, spreading growth: Forms dense, flat mats rarely more than a few inches tall
- Branching pattern: Stems branch repeatedly, creating an intricate, lacy appearance
- Spore cones: Look for small, spike-like structures at branch tips – these contain spores instead of seeds
- Color variations: Can range from bright green to bronze or reddish, especially in different seasons
Is Spikemoss Beneficial in Your Garden?
Absolutely! While spikemoss might seem insignificant, it’s actually a garden hero working behind the scenes:
Soil Protection: Those dense mats prevent soil erosion and help retain moisture, creating ideal conditions for other plants to establish.
Microhabitat Creation: Spikemoss provides shelter and hunting grounds for beneficial insects, spiders, and other tiny creatures that help keep garden pests in check.
Natural Mulch: The living carpet acts like a natural mulch, suppressing weeds while keeping soil cool and moist.
Low Maintenance Ground Cover: Once established, spikemoss requires virtually no care and fills in areas where other plants struggle.
Encouraging Spikemoss in Your Garden
Rather than planting spikemoss, you’re more likely to encourage what’s already there or create conditions where it can naturally establish:
- Provide shade: Spikemoss thrives in partial to full shade
- Maintain moisture: Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged
- Avoid heavy foot traffic: These delicate plants prefer undisturbed areas
- Leave it alone: Resist the urge to rake or disturb areas where spikemoss is growing
The Bottom Line
Spikemoss might not win any gardening awards for showiness, but it’s a valuable native plant that deserves recognition and protection. If you discover it growing naturally in your garden, consider yourself lucky to host this ancient survivor. It’s quietly working to improve your garden’s ecosystem while asking for absolutely nothing in return – now that’s the kind of garden resident we can all appreciate!
Next time you’re walking through a shaded area of your yard, take a closer look at the ground. You might just spot this prehistoric ground cover doing its important work, one tiny scale-leaf at a time.
