Staghorn Fern

Thursday, 4.26.18

At 1 pm, I checked out a seminar on Staghorn Fern. They have an interesting and fun shape, and it is much better than hanging a cute dead deer’s head on your wall, which actually gives me the creeps. While sitting inside one of the seminar rooms, I notice interesting décor. They look like big metal rings, cover up with greenery and white flowers. I took some snapshots. They would look nice for wedding decoration. There were lots of picture frames, decorated with items or plants. Large mirrors also had plants decorated on it, as an accent.

Polypod ferns family is known as “flat horn,” and this family has 18 species and many subspecies, cultivars, and varieties. They are a native of Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America, mostly in the tropical areas, where they grow epiphytically on trees and rocks. They collect rainwater and get nutrients from leaf litter.

Shield Fronds are sterile, but there are also Fertile Fronds. The bud is where the stem grows. The rhizome is behind the bud. If the rhizome is damaged, then the plant can die. The growth pattern is solitary and pup-forming. The life cycle starts with sorus, sporangium, and spore. The spore is the size of grain of salt. It germinates to sporophyte. Then, it becomes a gametophyte, which matures to a staghorn.

Mounting the staghorn? It is sold in pots, but it can still be mounted. The sterile fronds will envelope the mount. Pack with sphagnum moss.

Water once a week but drench the plant. Let it dry out before watering again, but do not overwater. The mature plant needs less water, maybe once every month or two.

Fertilizer: liquid Miracle Gro is used by spraying fronds once per month, during springtime and summertime. Chelated Fe for fronds with a yellow color; If you over-fertilize the plant, then the plant is a thick and dark green.

Some light via tree canopy is sufficient because this plant needs indirect lighting. If the plant doesn’t get enough light, then plant will get disease and pests. If the plant gets too much light, then it will turn yellow.

The temperature should be humid and 40 degrees F.

Propagation involves pup excision, spore, and tissue culture. Spore culture is natural growth. There will be genetic variability within 5 to 10 years until maturity. Tissue culture is preferred for mass production because of reproducibility.

When the plant is in full sun, it will grow upright. When it is in the shade, it will grow with floppy leaves that will move down.

It should be in well-drained soil, with peat moss, and organic fish emulsion or water-soluble soil.

Apparently, I forgot to take a snapshot of the Staghorn Fern. I added other snapshots.