Lycopodiella alopecuroides aka Foxtail Clubmoss

Lycopodiella alopecuroides has the common name foxtail bog clubmoss. It belongs to Lycopodiaceae, the clubmoss family. This plant has soft stems and lives for years. It does not grow flowers. Its native range spans the eastern United States to El Salvador. It also grows in Cuba, Hispaniola, southern Brazil, and northeastern Argentina. In the United States, it grows along the east coast. It also grows on the Gulf coastal plain. It lives in bogs, sandy seeps, and wet meadows. Other sites include roadside ditches and cleared strips beneath powerlines. These places give it the open, moist ground it needs.

Garden plants reach about 1 foot (0.3 metres) tall. They spread about 1.25–1.3 feet (0.38–0.4 metres) wide. Each plant has two kinds of stems. Sterile stems, which bear no spores, form strong arches. They can also lie along the ground. They spread out and grow roots that hold them in place. Fertile stems grow upright and may branch. Each has a spore-bearing structure called a strobilus at its tip. It makes spores, not flowers. Each strobilus is about 0.06–0.17 feet (0.02–0.05 metres) long. The low stems contrast with the upright, fertile stems.

This plant needs wet, sandy soil that is acid. It grows in full sun or part shade. A thin layer of peat over moist sand can suit it. Keep the soil wet; do not let it dry out. Check water quality if your supply is hard or alkaline. Use rainwater, distilled water, or reverse-osmosis water in those cases. Missouri Botanical Garden lists it for USDA zones 5–9. Its exact soil and water needs make garden care hard.

Grow it in bog gardens or at pond edges. It can also spread in natural-style plantings on wet ground that suits it. Choose nearby plants with care. Stronger plants can crowd it out. Wet soil alone will not meet all its needs. The soil must be sandy and acid, too. The site must meet these needs for it to thrive.

Missouri Botanical Garden reports no known pests or diseases. Yet to raise new plants, you must meet its exact needs. Focus care on the site, soil, water, and plants that compete with it. The supplied sources give no evidence of food or medicinal uses. They do not assess whether it is toxic to people or pets.