How much sun does Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss need?

Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss grows best in part shade conditions.

Where is Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss native?

Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss (Lycopodium obscurum) is native to AL, CT, DE, GA and 21 more states, per the USDA PLANTS Database and regional native plant society lists.

Is Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss HOA-friendly?

Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Lycopodium obscurum

Last reviewed: July 2026

Light

part shade

Water

medium

Size

6"–24" H × 12"–36" W

Bloom

N/A

Native to

AL, CT, DE, GA and 21 more states

Ground pine is a distinctive evergreen club moss that forms colonies of upright, branching stems resembling miniature conifer trees. It thrives in acidic, well-drained soils under partial shade and creates an attractive carpet-like groundcover. It grows slowly but provides year-round green interest in woodland gardens.

In an HOA neighborhood

Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Unusual appearance may be unfamiliar to HOA boards
Very slow establishment can look sparse initially
Woodland plant may appear too wild for formal landscapes

Wildlife value

While not a significant pollinator plant, ground pine provides shelter and foraging habitat for small woodland creatures and insects. Its evergreen structure offers winter cover for ground-dwelling wildlife.

Common questions

How much sun does Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss need?: Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss grows best in part shade conditions.
Where is Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss native?: Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss (Lycopodium obscurum) is native to AL, CT, DE, GA and 21 more states, per the USDA PLANTS Database and regional native plant society lists.
Is Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss HOA-friendly?: Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Native range data from the USDA PLANTS Database and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

Ready to grow Flat-Branch Tree Club-Moss? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.

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