Arborvitae Fern

Selaginella braunii, previously Selaginella pellascens

🌿Embrace the funky fractal-icious foliage!

Despite the common name, these plants aren't actually ferns or arborvitaes, but Selaginellas! Selaginellas are very ancient, prehistoric plants, dating to the time that land was covered in vast swamps and forests filled with giant ferns, massive horsetails, and the ancestors of conifers; strange creatures such as extinct gargantuan amphibians and huge dragonflies; and the continents that we know today didn't exist yet. Dinosaurs wouldn't appear on the scene for another 50 million years! Selaginellas are true survivors from a long ago era.

Selaginella braunii are native to southwestern China. While these beautiful and intriguing plants have a delicate, lacy, fern-y and fine-textured appearance, they are quite durable. True to their durable nature, they are semi-evergreen and cold hardy to zone 6 (-10°F). Foliage may turn purple-bronze in cold weather; stems may turn red-brown.

Well-behaved, they slowly expand by short, underground rhizomes.

Tuck these wonders under trees and shrubs, mix with mayapples and hostas in a shade garden, fill pretty pots with them - they are very versatile in the garden! 

🌿Thrive in shady, moist, well-draining locations. They can handle fairly dry conditions once established.
🌿Deer resistant.
🌿Low maintenance. 

❤️RCN Staff Favorite - we are growing these super cool plants in our own gardens!

Also known as: Arborvitae Spikemoss, Braun's Spikemoss, Chinese Lace Fern, Treelet Spikemoss

🌿Zone 6.
🌿Partial to full shade.
🌿0.5x1.5'T x 1-2'W.

Plant Nerd: These plants were named after a German botanist named Alexander Braun. He was fascinated by the seemingly mathematical forms found in nature, such as fractals and spirals. His first big international hit was an in depth paper looking at pine cones, later he moved onto studying Selaginellas and other interesting plants.