MANILA, Philippines - Selaginellas are some of the easiest plants to grow in tropical gardens. They are basically grown for their very ornamental foliage. The fine leaflets give it a lacy look. Given moist to wet grounds they can easily colonize the area.
Some Selaginellas are trailing and can give a shady area an interesting vivid iridescent blue carpet. There are yellow forms, too that can stand out in a dark spots. Variegated forms exist in several species providing color in the base planting. Selaginella erythropus is deep red underside while there are orange, brown and almost black forms of the genus in the Philippine forests.
Trailing forms may climb up the tree or lay prostrate against anything it can lean on. Aerial roots are produced in abundance for most species. There are 700 species of Selaginellas world wide. Most are confined in the moist tropics and subtropics.
The Japanese have collected varied horticultural forms of Selaginella for many decades. Plants appeared in the European floral market during the 80’s. With more and more species discovered, it is becoming more interesting to the plant collectors. New forms are coming out of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Some Thai collectors are starting to amass different color forms for commercial purposes.
Recent researches confirmed that Selaginellas has some medicinal principles that may cure cancer cells. Selaginella tamarascina (resurrection fern) has been sold by the herbalists in Dolores, Quezon and Chiangmai, Thailand as a medicinal plant. Boiled leaves are supposed to cure stomach problems in the Philippines. It is used as antipyretic in Chiangmai.
Propagation
Selaginella may be propagated using spores, division, or through tip cuttings. Spores take time and need more exacting growing conditions. Division is simple detachment of plant parts provided the piece of tissue has roots attached. Plant is then placed in 100% relative humidity or enclosed in plastic bag or chamber.
For volume production, tip cutting is the most practical way of increasing the plant number. Half inch tips (generally without roots) are detached from the mother plant and planted in sanitized media. The tip cuttings may either be planted upright or made to lay flat on the medium. Root appears on the third week onwards. Plantlets produced may be replanted in small pots with organic medium like fern roots or coconut husks.
Pests and Diseases
Pests seldom touch Selaginella for the simple reason that Selaginellas grow in shaded areas. Few insect pests will stray into dark areas. There are not too many diseases that affect Selaginella either. Wet and very wet conditions are the best locations for Selaginellas.
The only things that will damage potted Selaginella are: Fertilizer burns and desiccation.