Pellia epiphylla
common pellia
Europe, northern Asia, and North America
Container Friendly
Native to North America
SunFull Shade – Part Shade
WaterHigh
Overview
Pellia epiphylla is a thallose liverwort that forms flat, branching, ribbon-like sheets of green tissue (thalli) pressed against wet ground. Each thallus is about 0.4 inch (1 cm) wide, dark green and often tinged purple or red along the midline, with a thickened central band and thin, wavy-edged margins; the lobes overlap to build loose patches. Unlike a moss it has no stems or leaves, growing instead as a flattened body that branches by repeated forking. As a non-vascular plant it has no roots, flowers, or internal water-conducting tissue, anchoring by pale rhizoids and absorbing water over its whole surface, so it depends on constant moisture and shade. It grows on wet, acidic, peaty or clay soil along stream banks, ditches, springs, flushes, and shaded damp banks. In spring it produces sporophytes: black spherical capsules raised quickly on translucent white stalks that elongate overnight and split into four to release spores. It spreads by growth and fragmentation to cover damp ground. Its need for wet, acid, shaded conditions limits where it can live.
Native Range
Pellia epiphylla is widespread across Europe, northern Asia, and North America, mainly in cool, humid regions. It grows on wet, acidic soil along streams, ditches, springs, and shaded banks. It is common in lowland and upland areas with damp, lime-free ground.Suggested Uses
Grown or encouraged on permanently wet, shaded, acidic soil at the edges of streams, springs, and bog gardens and in humid terrariums. It clothes damp banks and ditch sides where little else grows. Its need for constant wet, acidity, and shade makes it unsuited to ordinary borders or dry, sunny, or alkaline sites.How to Identify
Appearance
Bloom Information
This liverwort reproduces by spores rather than flowers. In spring, black spherical spore capsules are carried up on translucent white stalks that lengthen rapidly, often within a day. The capsules split into four lobes to release spores, and thread-like cells help disperse them.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Dark green, often red-tingedGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 3 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Pellia epiphylla grows in shade to deep shade on wet, acidic, peaty or clay soil that stays moist year-round, such as stream banks and seepages. It needs constant moisture and lime-free conditions and does not tolerate drought, drying winds, or strong sun. It is not grown from seed; pieces of thallus are pressed onto suitable wet, acid soil and kept saturated while they establish. No feeding is needed, and silt or competing growth can smother it. It withstands cold but fails if its surface dries out. It suits the wet, shaded margins of ponds, streams, and bog gardens and humid terrariums.Pruning
No pruning is required. Patches can be lifted and pressed back into wet soil, and silt, debris, or competing growth cleared away by hand.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons