Falling for selaginella

We have long loved the amazing selaginellas, but in the fall and winter, the evergreen native Selaginella apoda looks absolutely fabulous. Here it is in the garden, 1st image is in November, 2nd image February, carpeting the ground with a touch-worthy texture.  It’s only been known since 1753…surely you’ve managed to grow one by now!

 

If you’re looking for something taller, the Chinese Selaginella braunii also looks great in the fall and tops out around 1′ tall.

A few years ago, we were browsing in one of the box stores, and spotted this variegated Selaginella braunii, which came home with us. So far, we haven’t been able to get the variegation to be stable enough to offer. 

3 thoughts on “Falling for selaginella”

  1. I love the Chinese Selaginella braunii and have it planted in front of Rhodea japonica
    along a pathway. This time of the year the
    Selaginella turns a bronzy color which is also
    so pretty and airy.

  2. I am fascinated by variegation esp. by pros and cons of its advantages and disadvantages for the plant. I would be interested to know , in your experience, how easy is it to maintain stable variegation in cultivars? Thanks.

    1. Think of variegation as the personality of the plant. Just as with people, some are completely stable, while others are schizophrenic. Variegation has many causes, so the cause of the variegation along with the arrangement of the leaf tissues determines stability.

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