The cut stems of moa can be used as a long-lasting component of a floral arrangement, or placed on a sheet of paper in a dry draft-free place for a couple of days to collect their spores; the spores can then be spread around your landscape (e.g., onto a rock wall, into the pot of an established plant). Alternatively, propagate moa by gently collecting and transplanting a portion (with both rhizomes and new stems) of an existing plant (Photographs of cut stems and transplant courtesy of Greg Koob©.). Just three examples of the many places you can display your moa: as an accent mixed with other native Hawaiian plants (Photograph courtesy of Daderot Public Domain); growing from the cracks in a rock wall (Photograph courtesy of Jordan Loftin CC BY-NC 4.0.); as a container companion to other plants (Photograph courtesy of Greg Koob©.). Not often seen together, here a wild Psilotum nudum (right) and Psilotum complanatum grow side by side (Photograph posted with permission of Matthew Walters.).

Growth Requirements

General

    Perhaps, it's because Psilotum nudum "magically" appears in so many unexpected places, such as the crotch of a tree, the cracks in a rock wall, or the drainage holes of another plant's pot, that Hawai‘i's residents are often surprised to learn (or have forgotten) that moa is a native Hawaiian plant (with a rich cultural history). We can only hope that as more people do learn, they consider planting or keeping moa in more traditional places within their residential and community landscapes. Within those landscapes, moa does well as a terrestrial (i.e., in-the-ground) accent among other native Hawaiian plants, atop a pile of rocks or on a cracked lava boulder, or in a container (with or without a companion plant) indoors or out. Interestingly, moa in pots tend to maintain a maximum size depending upon the size of the pot; small pot = small moa while large pot = large moa.

    Probably because Psilotum nudum is difficult and time-consuming (up to three years [Hawaii Horticulture]) to grow from spores, you don't often find it for sale. One way to buy one is to explore the forgotten corner of your local nursery, the place where all the older, sometimes uglier, plants have migrated, and look for a moa that has invaded the pot of one of these forgotten plants. (Maybe, you can convince the nursery owner to sell you the plant for half price!) Another, way to obtain a moa is from a friend or neighbor that has one. Ask them if it would be okay if you took a small portion of their plant to start as your own. If they say "yes," you don't need much, but you do need to make sure the potion you take has both some rhizomes and a few new pointed white to green stem tips (see the photograph above). Repot the transplant in some clean (i.e., new) easy-draining organic plus inorganic media mix (e.g., sphagnum peat moss and perlite), making sure the transplant is at the same depth it was in the host plant's pot (or ground). If there are any original stems still attached to your transplant, leave them (even if they are unsightly) since cutting them off can dramatically reduce the chances of your transplant surviving [Hawaii Horticulture]. Place your transplant in a shaded site and keep the media moist. Once your new moa starts growing new stems, you can start considering where its final home will be. However, be patient, since this transplant and recovery process can take months.

    Moa has a wide light tolerance, and can grow in a site that receives full sunlight for all or most of the day or in a site that is constantly shaded (or, of course, anywhere in between). Plants grown in direct sunlight tend to be partially yellow or orange, while those in constant shade are typically a dark green. (Don't mistake the orange or yellow coloration for a disease or ill health. It's just a natural adaptation to the sunlight.)

    It's best to keep the soil or media surrounding your moa moist (but well-drained) at all times. However, established plants can withstand mild drought conditions for a short time. Moa can endure strong winds and extreme heat (provided its rhizomes don't dry out). However, according to the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, moa has poor salt tolerance [CTAHR]. We have grown moa in lava/cinder, clay, and organic-dominant soils. 

    Moa typically grow pretty slowly; however, light fertilization may speed this up a bit or improve the plant's color [Hawaii Horticulture]. You can expect to see your moa start to develop sporangia pretty early (i.e., within a year) when it is still quite small. While the stems of moa live a long time, they don't last forever. Therefore, to keep your plant looking tidy, you can remove these dead stems by hand-pruning.

Pests and Diseases

    Moa doesn't seem to be bothered much by pests or diseases. However, you may discover root mealybugs within the pot of an ill-kept (e.g., too wet media) plant. Refer to the Pests & Diseases page for ways to eliminate root mealybugs. 

Special Features and Information

General

Psilotum belong to the Whisk-fern family (Psilotaceae) with only two wide spread species: Psilotum complanatum and P. nudus. Both species are indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands.

The two native species of moa (Psilotum spp.) can hybridize when found together.

In the Hawaiian Islands, the hybrid is an infrequent to locally common plant found in mesic to wet forests, from 1640 to about 2790 feet, on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu (particularly in the Waiʻanae Mountains), Lānaʻi, and Maui and is referred to as Psilotum x intermedium.

Hawaiian Name

    The stems of the two Psilotum species have characteristic features:

Moa* or Upright whiskfern (P. nudum) are upright plants with triangle-shaped stems. This can been seen when stems are cut horizonally and thus showing a triangular shape.

Moa nahele* or Flat-stemmed whiskfern (P. complanatum) are plants that droop downward with flat, pancake-like stems, when cut horizonally.

It's all in the common name!

* Both species are called Moa or Moa nahele, as well as pipi, in the Hawaiian language. To distinguish between the two species in the text, this website has chosen to use Moa for Psilotum nudum and Moa nahele for Psilotum complanatum.

Etymology

The generic name is from the Greek psilos, naked or smooth, alluding to the smooth aerial stems without leaves.

The specific epithet  is from the Latin nudus, bare or naked, in reference to the naked nature of the stems.

So then, the apparently redundant name Psilotum nudum refers to a really naked, naked plant!