Erect Moss Fern (Red Selaginella) care

Light

Erect Moss Fern wants the spot a few feet back from a sunny window — bright enough to read a paperback at noon, but the sun never falls directly on the leaves. Prefers medium to bright indirect light that brings out its red pigmentation. In low light, the red colouration fades. A bright east-facing position filtered from direct sun is ideal. A faint hand shadow at midday is the right amount; a sharp dark shadow means it's getting direct sun and probably too much.

Watering

Water erect moss fern when the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 4-6 days. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Requires reliable moisture but not waterlogging. Bottom-watering is effective; water until the substrate is evenly moist and drain fully. Avoid letting the pot sit in water.

Soil and pot

Erect Moss Fern grows best in moist, fine-textured, organic potting mix. A mixture of coconut coir, fine composted bark, and perlite provides adequate drainage and moisture retention. Slightly acidic pH of 5.5–6.5 is preferred. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Erect Moss Fern sits happiest at around 65-85% humidity and 16-27°C (61-80°F). Requires high humidity. A terrarium or humid windowsill is best. If grown in open air, mist daily and use a pebble tray. Avoid cold draughts and heating vent proximity. If you keep the room above 16 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed erect moss fern sparingly. Feed once a month during spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at quarter strength. Stop feeding entirely in autumn and winter when growth slows. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on erect moss fern in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Colour fading — Red pigmentation fades in insufficient light. Move to a brighter indirect position to restore the characteristic colouring.
• Browning from dry air — Tips brown rapidly when humidity drops. Enclose in a terrarium or mist twice daily.
• Overwatering rot — Stems collapse at the base when overwatered. Improve drainage and reduce watering frequency immediately.
• Fungus gnats — Attracted to persistently moist soil. Use sticky traps and allow a very thin surface dry layer between waterings.

Companion plants

Erect Moss Fern pairs well with Fittonia, Hypoestes, Creeping fig, and Miniature moss. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Divide clumps carefully, ensuring each section has some roots, and replant in moist substrate. Stem cuttings placed on moist coir in a closed humid propagator will root within 3-4 weeks. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Erect Moss Fern is pet-safe. Selaginella erythropus is not listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats or dogs. The genus Selaginella is not associated with known toxic compounds, making it a suitable choice for pet-friendly households. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Erect Moss Fern deep-dive guides

Every aspect of erect moss fern care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common erect moss fern problems & fixes
• Erect Moss Fern watering schedule
• Erect Moss Fern light requirements
• Best soil mix for erect moss fern
• Erect Moss Fern fertilizing guide
• When to repot erect moss fern
• How to propagate erect moss fern
• How to prune erect moss fern
• What's eating my erect moss fern?
• Erect Moss Fern growth rate & size
• Erect Moss Fern cold hardiness
• Erect Moss Fern temperature & humidity
• Is erect moss fern toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is erect moss fern toxic to cats?
• Is erect moss fern toxic to dogs?
• All 11 Selaginella varieties

Featured in these plant shortlists

Erect Moss Fern qualifies for 12 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
• Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
• Browse all 30 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Erect Moss Fern is also known as Red Selaginella, Ruby Spikemoss, and Erect Spikemoss.

• Begonia 'It' care — light, water and common problems
• Begonia 'Cleopatra' care — light, water and common problems
• Begonia 'Thurstonii' care — light, water and common problems
• All 11687 plant care guides in the Growli library