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Herbaceous Perennial

Lycopodium alpinum

alpine club moss

Found in northwest Britain, this evergreen, moss-like plant has trailing stems up to 45cm long, with short, upright branches a few cm tall. Stems are clothed in tiny, overlapping, scale-like leaves, and produce spores at the branch tips

Other common names

cypress moss
heath cypress

Synonyms

Diphasium alpinum
Diphasiastrum alpinum

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Ultimate height

Up to 10cm

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Loam

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Lycopodiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Trailing
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Occurs naturally on exposed hillside with acidic, peaty soil among rough grass or heather. Best suited to a rock garden or alpine house, grown in a mix of leaf mould and grit

Propagation

Propagate by division or by softwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Rock garden

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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