| Description | Staghorn Ferns (Platycerium) is a genus of ferns found growing on the sides of trees (epiphytic) in the wild. Needs warm temperature, good light and prefers higher humidity. Common name from the shape of the fertile fronds. |
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| Pronunciation | (plat-ee-SIR-ee-um) |
| Plant Type | Ferns - Tropical |
| Hardiness Zone | tropical |
| Sunlight | bright light with some direct sun |
| Moisture | These plants are epiphytic (growing in trees) and get there moisture from the mist in the air and rain. In the house they are best watered by misting with tepid water or plunging the base into a container of water. |
| Soil & Site | They don't need soil and are grown attached to boards or in a slatted orchid hanging pot. |
| Growing Media | If you use a media an epiphytic mix is the best. This is usually made of osmunda, leaf mold, chunk bark etc. |
| Temperature | These are not cold tolerant needing a minimum of 55 degrees F with an ideal of around 70 degrees F. |
| Flowers | Ferns do not produce flowers. The mode of reproduce are spores. |
| Fruit | produces spores |
| Leaves | The fronds are of two distinctive types. A fertile and sterile frond. The sterile frond is the large grayish-green anther-like frond and the sterile is the disk-like frond that attaches the plant to the media or pot. |
| Dimensions | Can spread to over 2 feet. |
| Maintenance | Becareful to not rub off the grayish fuzz-like hair on the fronds. |
| Propagation | spores |
| Native Site | Australia. Polynesia |
| Notes & Reference | #23-Indoor Ferns (Boy Altman), #70-Indoor Plants (Courtuer and Clark) |
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