Mokimoki

Botanical name: Doodia mollis
Synonyms: Doodia caudata, Doodia media var. caudata, Blechnum molle
Common name(s): Mokimoki, Mukimuki

About:
Mokimoki is a small, elegant New Zealand endemic fern valued for its delicate, softly textured fronds and attractive pink new growth. One of its most distinctive features is the faint sweet fragrance released when the fronds are crushed. It grows as neat clumps in damp forests and river margins, where its fertile and sterile fronds differ noticeably in shape. Although naturally uncommon, it can be locally abundant in suitable habitats and is an excellent fern for shaded native gardens.

Natural habitat:
Found in coastal to lowland forest, alluvial forest, damp gullies, river margins, fertile forest soils over basalt, andesite or alluvial deposits, and occasionally beneath open scrub on damp clay banks or beside forest drains.

Growing environment:
Prefers dappled shade to filtered light in fertile, free-draining but consistently moist soils rich in organic matter. Although it appreciates regular moisture, established plants are surprisingly tolerant of short dry periods.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand. Occurs on Macauley Island in the Kermadec Islands and throughout parts of the northern North Island, from Awanui south to the Hamilton Basin, Hauraki Plains, coastal Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and southern Wairarapa.

Height:
10–40 cm, occasionally to 60 cm when fertile

Width:
20–40 cm

Flowering:
Not applicable—spore-producing fern

Fruiting:
Not applicable—spore-producing fern

Uses:
• Woodland groundcover
• Shaded native gardens
• Underplanting beneath trees
• Container and pot cultivation
• Fern collections
• Stream and pond margins

Appearance:
Growth habit:
A small tufted terrestrial fern with erect rhizomes producing distinctly dimorphic fronds. Sterile fronds form spreading or prostrate rosettes, while fertile fronds arise more upright from the centre of the clump.

Rhizome:
Short, erect rhizomes are clothed with pale brown scales and gradually form compact clumps.

Stipes:
Stipes range from 3–15 cm long on sterile fronds and may be longer on fertile fronds. They are dark brown near the base, becoming reddish or yellow-brown above, and are clothed with pale brown scales and fine hairs.

Fronds:
Fronds are narrowly elliptic to linear, firm yet slightly fleshy, and 8–39 cm long. Emerging fronds are pink or pinkish-green before maturing to pale green or bright green. When crushed they release a distinctive sweet fragrance.

Pinnae:
Sterile fronds have relatively broad, rounded pinnae, while fertile fronds carry narrower, more elongated pinnae. There are typically 10–20 pairs, with the lower pinnae stalked and the upper pinnae fused to the rachis. The margins are sharply serrated.

Spores:
Elongated sori develop in a single row along each side of the pinna midrib. As they mature they frequently merge into almost continuous bands beneath the fronds. Spores are dispersed by wind.

Ecology:
Mokimoki occupies damp, fertile forest floors where its clumps help stabilise soil and provide shelter for small invertebrates. It commonly grows alongside Doodia australis and occasionally hybridises with it, producing the sterile hybrid Doodia ×digena. Possible hybridisation with Doodia squarrosa has also been observed where both species occur together.

Associated habitats:
Coastal forest, lowland broadleaf forest, alluvial forest, river terraces, damp gullies, clay banks, stream margins, basalt and andesite forests, and shaded forest clearings.

How to grow:
Plant in filtered shade or light woodland conditions in fertile, humus-rich, free-draining soil. Water regularly while establishing but avoid prolonged waterlogging. It is well suited to containers, shaded courtyards and woodland gardens. Remove old fronds as new growth appears to maintain a tidy appearance.

Propagation:
Easily propagated from fresh spores. Mature clumps may also be carefully divided. Young plants establish readily when kept evenly moist in sheltered conditions with good drainage.

Cultural use:
Known traditionally as mokimoki or mukimuki, this fern has long been recognised as part of New Zealand’s native forest flora. Its pleasant fragrance when crushed makes it unusual among New Zealand ferns and contributes to its cultural and botanical interest.

Garden value:
A beautiful small fern that combines soft green mature foliage with attractive pink emerging fronds and a subtle sweet scent. Its compact size, ease of cultivation and tolerance of occasional dry periods make it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, native borders, shaded patios and container displays.