Selaginella kraussiana

What is African Club Moss

A low creeping ferny-looking groundcover, that thrives in damp, shady places. It prefers wet conditions, like lawns and gardens with poor drainage, or creek banks. It’s very shade-tolerant; in the right conditions it forms a carpet that crowds out grass and other groundcovers. In bush areas, it can cause long term damage to ecosystems by preventing native seedlings from getting started.

It spreads very quickly via spores or from tiny sections of stem that can contaminate soil (especially potting mix) so it’s now widespread throughout NZ. If it’s in a lawn, simply walking on it can distribute spores over a much wider area. 

How to protect your lawn and garden

Because African Club Moss loves damp lawns and gardens, improving drainage can really help to suppress it.

We recommend using Yates Hydrocotyle Killer to remove African Club Moss from lawns without damaging grass.

In all other situations, spraying the club moss with Yates Zero Tough weedkiller, or Yates Zero Super Concentrate with added Yates Pulse Penetrant is recommended.

After being cleared, African Club Moss can swiftly repopulate infested areas, so keep a close eye on it. After 3 months, respray the re-emerging moss if required.

 

Plants impacted

  • Lawns
  • Garden Beds
  • Native Bush

Recommended products

Yates Zero Pulse Penetrant

Improves the penetration, spread and adhesion of Yates Zero Weedkillers on difficult to kill weeds with waxy or hard to wet surfaces.

More articles

Clover

A perennial weed which has leaves with three leaflets, and creeping stems that set roots wherever they touch the ground.

Onehunga (Prickle) Weed

An annual weed which looks like a small ferny rosette about 20mm in diameter, best known for the irritating prickles that stick into bare feet.

Dandelion

A perennial herb with a very long tap root; mid-green and deeply divided leaves; and yellow daisy-like flowers.

Capeweed

An annual weed with rosette grey-green succulent leaves, and yellow daisy like flowers with black centres. Capeweed is also known as Cape Daisy.