Communing with Clubmoss

Lycopodium obscurum

I love this beautiful plant we commonly call a clubmoss, or ground pine. You might also know it as princess pine. As an understory plant, they don't get much bigger than this (6 inches).

 

The needle-like leaves and fertile projections with spores on them look almost identical in their structural arrangement, but differ in color. 

They are primitive, slow growing plants, taking about 20 years to mature and reproduce, so please don't harvest them for Christmas decorations.

I'm so pleased to have some growing happily in my yard 😀 that I can lie down next to and enjoy close up.