Selaginella Species, Blue Spikemoss, Hooked Spike-Moss, Love-in-a-Tangle, Peacock Moss

Per about his above photos, Rogier van Vugt, the Head Gardener at the greenhouses at Leiden University and at Hortus botanicus Leiden, fr...Read Moreom Noordwijk, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands said:
"Selaginella uncinata is an iridiscent spikemoss originally native to China but now naturalised in many other subtropical to tropical countries. Just like the more commonly cultivated Selaginella wildenowii it has leaves the reflect blue light much better than any other light creating this amazing Avatar like effect. The iridiscence differs from day to day and this morning I noticed it was particularly blue, so I made these pics. I now realize I should have made a video instead, as that shows the effect even better. Luckily it's Super easy to grow when given proper humidity, a soil that is mainly mineral and semi shade."

Most Selaginella require high humidity and damp leaf mold to do their best; uncinata is no exception. Never it dry out. Dappled shade is ...Read Moreabout all the light it can stand. It does not like sustained temperatures above 80F. With light constant feed it grows rapidly.

I propagate it by breaking it into short pieces and laying them on clean long Sphagnum in an enclosed container.

Harden the growing pieces by gradually removing the lid of the container, cut the growing pieces with some sphagnum and transplant to a moist shady area and stand back! If it's happy it will grow very rapidly.

So: moist soil (forest duff is perfect) and high humidity. It will stand temperatures up to 90F for brief periods and I'm told that it's good in up to zone 7b.

I have loved this in a small pot my son gave me about 4 years ago. Beautiful streamers about 3 feet long. This year it seems to be dying ...Read Moreback rather early. Does it have a shelf life?

Selaginella uncinata is native to China, and is widely cultivated elsewhere.

I have tried several times growing this speci...Read Morees in a shady spot outdoors here, but the plants don't survive for long (probably because of a lack of humidity).

However, I'm sure that it would make a wonderful indoor or terrarium plant.