Fan Clubmoss is the most common species of the Lycopodium genus in North America. It is a herbaceous perennial, evergreen subshrub, non-flowering member of the club moss family. It grows in woodland areas in well-drained acidic soils. It is a small upright plant with long, horizontal stems that run along the ground and, at maturity, the plant will reach about 8 inches high. Upright shoots produce a central stem with scale-like leaves and lateral, fan-like, branches horizontal to the ground. Small, scale-like, leaves are distributed along the sides of the horizontal and vertical stems. A fertile upright shoot produces cone-like spore-bearing structures that split open to release their spores in the late summer or autumn. In addition, colonies of upright shoots are often produced from the horizontal stems. Fan Clubmoss is drought tolerant plant, though it does best with even moisture. It prefers sandy or rocky, acidic soil, dappled sunlight or light shade, and well drained conditions. It is very difficult to cultivate in the garden. It is almost impossible to transplant and to grow mature plants from spores can take up to 20 years. This species develops underground and requires the presence of appropriate fungi. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 8 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles; Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The stems contain tiny (less than 1/4 inch) scale-like leaves that are appressed to slightly spreading. The leaves on the two narrow sides of each lateral branch are linear in shape, while the leaves on its two broad sides are lanceolate.
Flower detail
Non-flowering plant.
Fruit detail
Spores display from July to September.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The horizontal and central stems are pale to medium green, terete, and glabrous.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada to Central and Eastern United States.
Distribution
Canada south to Georgia and west to Mississippi river.