Selaginella willdenowii

Willdenow's spikemoss thrives in environments that offer partial sun, requiring about 3-6 hours of sunlight daily, but it can also grow well in full shade, where it receives less than 3 hours of sunlight. It's essential to monitor how sunlight moves through your garden throughout the day to pick the ideal spots that provide the right balance of light and shade, ensuring the plants' optimal growth and happiness.

Indoor Willdenow's spikemoss plants may require artificial lighting when natural sunlight is insufficient, especially during winter or in less sunny areas. For optimal growth, it's important to choose the right type of artificial light, such as LED lights that can offer specific wavelengths needed by your plants. The intensity required varies by plant type: full sun plants need 30-50W/sq ft, partial sun plants 20-30W/sq ft, and full shade plants 10-20W/sq ft. The light source should be placed 12-36 inches above the plant, mimicking natural sunlight conditions, and most plants benefit from 8-12 hours of light per day to simulate the natural length of daylight hours.

When grown indoors under insufficient light, Willdenow's spikemoss may exhibit several symptoms indicating a lack of light. These include smaller new leaves, leggy or sparse growth due to longer spaces between leaves or stems, faster leaf drop, slower or halted new growth, and lighter-colored or irregularly patterned new leaves suggesting a lack of chlorophyll and essential nutrients. Insufficient or excessive sunlight can also lead to chlorosis, where leaves turn yellow, sunscald causing damage to leaves or stems, leaf curling as a defense mechanism against overexposure, wilting from rapid water loss, and leaf scorching characterized by brown, dry edges on leaves.

To prevent and address symptoms of light deficiency in Willdenow's spikemoss, gradually acclimate your plants to brighter conditions. For indoor plants, shift them to sunnier spots each week until they receive 3-6 hours of direct sunlight daily, or use artificial light sources like desk lamps or professional plant grow lights for at least 8 hours daily. Outdoors, gradually move your plants to brighter locations each week to avoid shock. If sunlight is blocked by trees or buildings, consider pruning or transplanting smaller plants to a sunnier spot. Note that parts of the plant damaged by insufficient sunlight may not recover, but new growth after adjusting light exposure should be healthy.