Spikemoss
Selaginella kraussiana
Also called Club moss, Krauss's spikemoss and Trailing selaginella
Houseplant · Ferns & palmsIT CANNOT DRY OUT, ONCE — a single afternoon on a dry windowsill turns it brown and it does not recover from the crisped parts. It is a terrarium plant that shops sell as a houseplant, and that is why most of them die.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 2 daysKeep it moist — water at the first hint of dryness — don't wait for a dry pot.
- Light
- Medium to low indirect
- Feed
- Every 60 days
- Humidity
- Very high
- Hardiness
- Tender — no frost at all RHS H2, to 1°C
- Size
- 0.1 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Southern Africa
Is it safe for pets and people?
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
ASPCA lists Selaginella kraussiana by exact binomial, under five common names including "Club Moss" and "Irish Moss", as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Checked against ASPCA on 2026-09-22.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Brown crisp patches through the mat after an afternoon on a dry sill. Those parts do not come back — it is a terrarium plant sold as a houseplant, which is why most die.Dried out once · disorder
- Long pale bare stems with growth only at the tips, in a dark corner. It wants low light, not no light.Going leggy · disorder