Forest & Kim Starr
Family
Polypodiaceae
Botanical Name
Platycerium
Plant Common Name
Staghorn Fern
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
Lush tropical graceful foliage makes staghorn and elkhorn ferns desirable for warm gardens and sunny rooms. There are about 17 species of ferns in genus Platycerium. They are native to tropical and warm-temperate areas of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Guinea. These ferns are epiphytic which means they do not grow in soil but on tree branches, trunks, or even wedged in between moist rocks in a cliff.
Quite variable in its form, these ferns are mostly evergreen. Generally they produce two types of leaves and tufted roots from short rhizomes (lateral stems). Sterile or basal leaves - which do produce spores - are shield-shaped, rounded or heart-shaped. They grow against the supporting surface protecting the roots and attaching the fern. They are usually light to medium green and often feel felt-like. As they age or die, they turn tan or brown. From the middle of the mat of sterile leaves arise the fertile, spore-producing fronds that are long and branched, arching or weeping at full maturity. They may be light or dark green and are often covered with fuzz. These fronds produce small spores at the tips which are usually brown or rusty in color.
Culture and hardness vary by species. Generally, Platycerium are frost-tender and are grown outside only in warm humid climates. They are beautiful in greenhouses, conservatories, sunny garden rooms and interior landscapes. Partial to full shade in a sheltered area is required. As they are epiphytes, they must be raised in a hanging basket, on a lathe wall grate or tree branch or trunk. Indoors, place where they will receive bright indirect light and high humidity. Water thoroughly through the fibrous root base often during the summer, but much less so in winter. Propagate staghorn ferns by dividing the "shields" of sterile leaves to produce new, smaller plants.
