Out for a hike late yesterday, down Five Mile Meadow Road, on the state game lands. Not being very fit after being cooped up all winter, I only went half way and back and it still felt like ten miles.

Far too early for any bursting buds, new growth or any signs of spring, really – except for this. Lycopodium digitatum – fan clubmoss. As you can see its very pretty bright foliage has come through the icy and snowy winter unscathed; it was the freshest green thing on view and the pattern of the foliage is delightful.

Sometimes called Diphasiastrum digitatum, and related to ferns, it creeps steadily in dry forests and on banks and grows wild right across the east from Newfoundland all the way south to Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

It suddenly appeared in the garden here a few years back, miles from anywhere else I’d seen it, and has settled happily into an ungardened and unexpectedly damp spot. I dug a piece up and moved it into the richer conditions of the shade garden. It died.

Also of interest on my hike, was the sight of the Game Commission obeying its own rules...