# stag's-horn clubmoss (*Lycopodium clavatum*) Stag's-horn clubmoss is a green plant that looks like tiny trees with soft, forked branches. It grows in shady places and is very special because it has been around for millions of years! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests ![stag's-horn clubmoss](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lycopodium_clavatum_151207.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bernd Haynold, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lycopodium_clavatum_151207.jpg) ## Appearance The stag's-horn clubmoss is a low-growing plant with creeping stems that send up erect, branched stems covered in tiny, scale-like, bright green leaves. Its yellow-brown, club-shaped spore cones resemble miniature antlers, making it visually distinct from true mosses. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Lycopodiopsida - **Order:** Lycopodiales - **Family:** Lycopodiaceae - **Genus:** Lycopodium ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, it's not a true moss; it's an ancient plant related to ferns! - Its powdery spores are so flammable, they were once used in fireworks and flash photos! - This plant is a living fossil, growing on Earth when dinosaurs roamed! - Unlike flowering plants, it reproduces with tiny spores, not seeds, like ancient ferns! ## Special abilities - **Spore Power:** The stag's-horn clubmoss has tiny, wind-dispersed spores that help it spread far and reproduce without seeds, an ancient adaptation. - **Evergreen Toughness:** This clubmoss stays green all year round, even in winter, helping it absorb sunlight when other plants are dormant. - **Creeping Ground Hugger:** It has a creeping stem system that helps it form dense mats, anchoring it firmly and protecting the forest floor. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-15 cm - **Spread:** 30-100 cm - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (*Rhizophagus intraradices*) — helps clubmoss acquire nutrients from soil - **Eaten by:** [Red Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-deer) (*Cervus elaphus*) — may browse on its evergreen foliage in winter - **Shelter:** Wood Mouse (*Apodemus sylvaticus*) — provides cover and microhabitat on the forest floor ## Traits - [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they're safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify stag's-horn clubmoss? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is stag's-horn clubmoss? 5-15 cm ### How wide does stag's-horn clubmoss spread? 30-100 cm ### Is stag's-horn clubmoss edible? No ### Is stag's-horn clubmoss toxic? Mild ### What is stag's-horn clubmoss's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is stag's-horn clubmoss pollinated? Wind ### Where is stag's-horn clubmoss usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Battle of Camp Allegheny](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battle-of-camp-allegheny) — West Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-madawaska-river-provincial-park) — Ontario, CA · State Park - [Pinecone Burke Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pinecone-burke-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see stag's-horn clubmoss](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/stags-horn-clubmoss) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Stag's-horn Clubmoss: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stags-horn-clubmoss)