Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cressler, Alan

Lycopodium clavatum

Lycopodium clavatum L.

Running Clubmoss

Lycopodiaceae (Club-Moss Family)

Synonym(s): Lycopodium clavatum var. laurentianum, Lycopodium clavatum var. subremotum, Lycopodium clavatum var. tristachyum

USDA Symbol: LYCL

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), PR (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)

From the Image Gallery

17 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Subshrub
Leaf Margin: Entire
Size Notes: Upright stems up to about 10 inches tall. Horizontal stems up to about 9 feet long.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Not Applicable
Bloom Notes: Non flowering, sporulating species.

Distribution

USA: AK , CA , CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MT , NC , NH , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OR , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV
Canada: BC , MB , NB , ON , PE , QC , SK

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FAC	FACU	FAC	FAC	FAC			FAC	FAC	FAC

This information is derived from: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (2023). 2022 National Wetland Plant List, version 3.6. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS. https://wetland-plants.usace.army.mil/. Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 26 - Minnesota Wildflowers: a field guide to the flora of Minnesota (2009)

Additional resources

USDA: Find Lycopodium clavatum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Lycopodium clavatum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lycopodium clavatum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2026-08-28
Research By: SET

Go back