Platycerium bifurcatum (Staghorn Fern) Houseplant Care - 237 of 365
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Platycerium bifurcatum, otherwise known as staghorn fern or elkhorn fern, is likely the most popular cultivated Platycerium on the market. It's an epiphytic fern (even though you can find it planted in soil substrate). It rings in at #237 of "365 Days of Plants".
In this video I'll discuss where it is originally native to, where I'm growing it in my home, and basics like light, watering and fertilizing.
You can check out more of these videos here and on my IGTV @homesteadbrooklyn.
Featured plant:
Platycerium bifurcatum
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Something neat about growing this plant is that you can change the shape / bifurcation of the fronds by altering the light levels that it is growing under. When exposed to very high light / some direct sun , the ‘elk horns’ become longer and skinny, and sometimes more numerous, thus increasing the bifurcation. You can then take the same plant and move it to a shadier location and the fronds that subsequently grow will tend to have wider, shorter and less numerous horns. The shaded fronds will also be darker green. In this way you can increase the visual appeal of it’s already interestingly sculptural foliage.
I find that my stags grow rather randomly. My biggest one has been in a hanging basket in a huge north facing window, getting some additional light from a growlight but all in all, he's enjoying bright shade yet he still produced all sorts of different fronds. My mounted stags get more light, but although they are basically in the same spot, some grow longer, some broader fronds. Maybe they're just a bit whacky ^^
Thsnks for the info. I was so torn between 3 ferns in my local nursery. 1 had numerous fronds that were long and thin, the other had more of the large Elkhorn shape but only 4 fronds... I went for the shape over quantity. Should have just purchased both. 😄
Love seeing people enjoying Australian natives !! I have my tiny one growing on rock which is stuck to a bowl for water, it's lovin' life
I have I'm in in the Bronx of New York which I'm embarrassed about this I'm looking for a ladder that I want to like plant plants on I miss the humidity of Houston in the Stag horns in the fronds the France a little babies they're on the steinhorn ferns and ferns in general which I can grout I can I grow a fern from my life My Mother My adoptive mother had quite ponds and she my grandma who like ferns on Ferns and I can grow a friend for anyting what are your thoughts on this3
Amazing Programming here. Always rewatch Episodes to learn more.
Yes!
I haven't even watched the video but am already super excited to see you talk about my very favorite plant! I've got four of them, three mounted and one ridiculously huge one in a hanging basket and, what can I say, my stags are near and dear to my heart :)
Just discovered your channel! You have nearly almost of the plants in my apartment. So grateful to have your videos as a resource. Love this format, it’s quick and precise, and aesthetically pleasing :)
I have one and really like its leaves. I keep it in the kitchen, actually hanging on the fridge held in place with magnets. That way I see it and remember to soak it.
Love staghorn ferns!! Especially the really weird ones!!!
Love all the Platycerium. I’m going on a trip to get some amazing ones this week 🌱
i absolutely love Platycerium! great video Summer!
I have one that I bought in 1978 as a "seedling"..mounted on a wood shingle from Kmart. Its now in the crotch of a Podocarpus gracilior and pretty large. Its had setbacks... a 24f freeze in 1992 killed it back to the shields. 7 or 8 years ago,cats killed part of it climbing the tree to get to birds nests.You could see claw marks and I would find pups on the ground. Cats are gone now..its bigger than ever. I just hose it down every few days.
I love this plant, thanks for doing this video Summer.
Awesome. Merry Christmas
How should a staghorn be watered when it’s in soil? I’m afraid to drown it 🌿
Wish you had mentioned lighting!
Received my first one today.💕🤞
Just bought one of these yesterday, in a soil mixture. Only small, the shield leaf is barely grown and I look forward to seeing it grow. May decide to mount it too. Thanks for the info :P
I heard that they need to be mounted in order to grow properly. i just got one in soil too and I can't wait to mount it! :D
I am from India like your videos very much
WELCOME IN INDIA
I have seen some magnificent specimens mounted and hanging underneath Live Oaks in Florida. They are really something!
Merry Christmas and 🥳 Happy New Year
Yes, we have it in Indonesia 😊
We have this in malaysia too, beautiful plant
OMG! your name is amazing
🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Happy Christmas Summer, thanks so much for your amazing content. Huge smile from Scotland, Tish 🌺
Oh thanks I needed this! I recently bought one mounted on lava rock with no clue how to take care of it.
Native in the philippines as well
Waiting to go to California to get one of these. Yet another beauty I can't find here in the Vegas desert. 😞
I recently (August?) purchased one on Amazon, and it is doing well so far.
I got mine at star nursery on eastern & pebble! I got it about three weeks ago! Call and ask honestly they get them!
Daughter of The King yes star nursery has them
hi Summer, thanks so much for this series :) My stag horn has probably been overwatered. I brought it home from the nursery in a pot. The shield is not turning brown; in some places very dark brown. I changed the soil and I'm letting it dry out some. I've looked at some pictures of stag horns and it seems that many do have a huge brown shield. Is this normal?
A brown shield is very normal! It's just going through it's life stages. :) Don't remove them! They're doing their job by protecting the roots and new shield fronds will continue to grow also. If you google pictures of mature staghorn ferns in the wild, you'll see they are full of brown fronds.
@@ayleighkay thank you for your help, I just got my with brown shield
Thanks for the info.....
i am the first
Loving it
I bought one recently and it’s in a pot. It’s living but not growing. Can someone please tell me if they have one of these growing in a pot of soil and does it need to be root bound or does it need room to grow? Thank you in advance.
Hi Summer! Two questions if you or anyone knows! I have the elkhorn variety myself, the fertile fronds are lighter green and they grow into a 2 pronged fork shape, almost like the crested birdsnest fern, which I actually thought it was when I bought it from a garden center! It was growing in a 4 inch in soil, so I presume it is still fairly young but so far it has not started producing shield fronds. When should they start producing the shield fronds? I currently have it mounted and in sphag moss like yours, but I find the moss dries out completely in about 3 days after soaking, the air is just so dry due to climate controlled air inside, year round. Would it be ok to take it and the clump of moss and put it in a plastic orchid pot? Ive been considering. Thanks! :)
Hello there
I'm a staghorn lover, hope you don't mind me answering :)
Yes, you could pot up your staghorn fern if you wanted to, but I'd suggest to first pack on more sphagnum moss onto the mount. No worries, it's not difficult, just wet some sphag, plop it around the moss already on the mount and then tie it down with some fishing twine or thin wire. That should give you some room in the watering department.
Also, try misting the moss every once in a while, maybe put a spray bottle next to your plant buddy and give it a gentle spritz when you walk by. Fun fact, staghorns can absorb water through their fronds, so it'll appreciate it even more. But please be aware that misting can mean a higher risk for bacterial infections, so don't drench it too much.
And don't worry about your shield fronds for now. Usually growers will only sell mature plants with shield fronds but if you got a younger plant, give it a good growing season, maybe more, to develop. I divided a fern last summer and mounted a very young pup (honestly, too young) and it's just now producing a very, very tiny shield frond for the first time and I suspect it will take another year for it to grow a decent one.
Have fun with your mighty stag :)
@@bugsandbrushes Hey thanks for that great advice! If first doesn't work I'll try potting up in moss. The reason I though that, was I have two orchids in moss in plastic pots and for some reason the moss in those stay wet well over a week. :)
@@Plantsandtoyhorses You're right, Sphagnum moss is extremely water retentive, especially when combined with a "non-breathable" plastic post :)
Depending on where you live, it's a fantastic stand-alone medium. I for one must add more drainage to my (orchid-)pots because i keep my house quite humid and don't get lots of light.
Hope you're having a wonderful time with your plants :)
Is this can be indoor? Thinking of buying one. Thanks
If you decide to leave it in a pot instead of mounting, what kind of soil mix should you use?
Yes.
I have one of my staghorns in a hanging basket in a very airy mix (orchid bark, some sphagnum and some washed coco choir). He currently measures about one and a half meters in diameter, and will remain on the ceiling in a basket, as long as the house will hold him. Depending on your climate (temperature and humidity) you'd need to put more or less sphag (water retentive).
But please be aware that most stags will eventually "eat up" your pot, meaning the shield fronds will spill over, which is a nice look but can be a bit nifty to to take care of.
Happy planting :)
I just recently got one and am mounting it. The leaves seem a little wilted and soft compared to when I got it. Am I watering it too much or little? Thanks! They’re new for me and I hope I can help this lil guy survive :)
Does a Staghorn have to be mounted?
I have one in a wire basket with a moth orchid. Do you have any other suggestions for companion plants. It’s growing so fast I want to plant my other one the same way.
Papua New Guinea - still a mystery whether Platycerium bifurcatum is indeed a native of that island or not. Could have been taken by Australians over the last half century. A local collector here in Australia has a plant that has allegedly come from PNG, but no difference observed, neither proof of origin. If it is in PNG, considering that half of the island of New Guinea belongs to Indonesia, then we can probably say that it does exist in Indonesia too.
I have mine in ball with soil and moss, my shields are kind of dark and crispy but I water well, never know if I'm doing the right thing.
Brown shield fronds are *not* a sign of a dying plant! Also, don't remove them! They're doing just fine and protecting the roots like they're meant to. :)
the tip of one of the biggest antlers on my staghorn fern is turning black. i'm not sure what i can for it :/
If it is brown/black and crispy, it might be a sign that he has been underwatered for a bit, was in a spot with too much direct sun or cold (maybe the frond touched a cold window) - just leave it or snip the crispy part off and if you can, put it in a bright but not too sunny spot where there are no drafts.
If it's black (not brown) and soggy/soft, it might be bacterial or viral infection - in that case, immediately clip the whole frond and monitor your fern for other signs of infection and, if necessary, treat it.
kindAhumaNbeinG it is definitely more of a crispy texture. i'll try tweaking the water schedule. thanks for the reply
A lot of people mount this of a wall, but could these (still being mounted) sit upright on a table?
Yes, I've seen that a couple of times. Kokedama (resting in a bowl) might be a good choice for you. Some mount their stags on the outside of clay pots or even on slate sculptures. It might be hard to find examples but have a look around, you'll surely find inspiration.
Have fun :)
ETIT: I had a look and it's Lava, not slate. Look for Zeurniet or Lova, it's a company that has lots of plants growing on lava rock.
👍
the shield? is that what you call the mount?
the shield is what the call the frond that grows on the base of the plant. helps to hold and catch materials that help it grow in nature.
i love you :) always :)
plenty in Philippines running wild on mountain top towns
i know its native to philippines, papua new guinea, australia, indonesia and others said its endemic to mindanao philippines
Great review of this species! Please share a *direct* link to where a similar beautiful, full, and lush Staghorn can be purchased.
I’ve looked everywhere with zero luck.
LMAO when you said mealy i went 😳
How many years ago? Many many many many many many many years ago. 😁
What about feeding it banana peel water?
Now that is expensive in India
*
But also mine is twice as big.
That's an Elkhorn, Staghorn's have a large cup forming frond at the top.
She mentions that exact fact I. The video