Platycerium bifurcatum — the antler-fronded epiphyte for mounting on a board or growing in a basket. Treat it like an orchid: soak weekly, let it drain, and leave the brown shield fronds alone.
A staghorn fern is a living sculpture: forked, gray-green fronds shaped like antlers grow out from a base of flat, rounded shield fronds that clasp whatever the plant is mounted on. In nature it grows on tree trunks, and it is happiest at home the same way — wired to a cedar or cork board with a pad of sphagnum moss behind it, hung on a shaded wall or a covered patio in the mild months.
It is easier than it looks once you stop treating it like a potted plant. Soak the whole mount weekly, let it drain, give it bright indirect light, and never peel off the brown shield fronds — they are supposed to turn brown. Small plants are the size to mount yourself. The rest of the bench is on our Houseplants page.
This is the staghorn fern we commonly carry. Availability changes week to week and season to season, so call (480) 987-3308 or stop in to see what’s on the bench today.
The common staghorn: forked, felted gray-green fertile fronds to two feet and rounded shield fronds at the base. Sold, ready to mount on a board or move to a hanging basket. Bright indirect light; weekly soak.
Looking for one that isn’t listed? Ask — we can usually suggest a close match or tell you when it tends to come around.
The care tag was written somewhere else. This is the Queen Creek version.
Lay a pad of damp sphagnum moss on a cedar, cypress or cork board, set the fern on it with the shield fronds against the moss, and secure it with fishing line or plastic-coated wire wrapped over the shield fronds (not the antlers). New shield fronds grow over the wire within a season. A hanging basket lined with moss also works. Hang it where you can take it down to water.
Bright, filtered light: near an east window indoors, or a covered patio with bright shade outdoors. Direct sun scorches the fronds; deep shade makes them limp and sparse. The felt on the fronds is its sunscreen and moisture barrier — don’t wipe it off.
Add a balanced liquid fertilizer at quarter strength to the soaking water once a month from March through September. The old trick of tucking a banana peel behind the shield is potassium; it works, slowly, and attracts gnats — the fertilizer is tidier.
Once a week in summer, every ten to fourteen days in winter, take the mount down and soak it in a sink or tub of room-temperature water for ten to twenty minutes, then let it drain fully before rehanging. Between soaks, mist the antler fronds if the air is very dry. The shield fronds turn brown and papery with age — that is normal and protective; do not remove them. Rot sets in if the base stays constantly wet.
Staghorns like humidity and moving air. Indoors, a bathroom or a bright kitchen wall is ideal; elsewhere, mist between soaks and keep it away from AC vents. The monsoon months are when it grows fastest, indoors or out.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs. Scale and mealybugs hide at the base of the fronds; treat with insecticidal soap, never oil. Outdoors on a shaded covered patio from March into May and October until nights near 40°F; bring it in for summer heat and any frost.
Yellowing, spots, no new growth — snap a photo of the plant and its window and we’ll diagnose it at the bench. Advice is free.
We stock indoor potting mix, orchid bark and perlite for the chunky blends aroids and epiphytes want, balanced houseplant fertilizers, insecticidal soap and neem for the usual mealybug and mite visits, and moss poles, hoops and saucers. The pottery yard has terracotta, glazed and lightweight pots from 4-inch up, plus hanging baskets and cache pots.
No. The flat shield fronds turn brown naturally and protect the roots and hold moisture. Only the long antler fronds are meant to stay green. Remove nothing.
Soak the whole mount for ten to twenty minutes once a week in summer, every ten to fourteen days in winter, and let it drain. Mist between soaks in the driest weeks.
Not immediately — it can stay in its pot or move to a moss-lined basket. But mounting on a board is how it grows best and looks best, and a small plant is the easiest size to mount.
Yes — it is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Thirst, or too little light. Soak it and move it to brighter indirect light. If the base is soft and dark, it has been kept too wet and needs to dry out.
On a shaded, covered patio in spring and fall, yes. Bring it in before summer heat and before any frost.
Staghorn Fern live on the houseplant bench; any staff member can point you to them. Locally owned, and a short drive from San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.