Staghorn Fern
The Staghorn Fern - A Hobby Plant
The Staghorn fern is certainly one of the more peculiar and interesting species of the fern family. It is native to several tropical countries and regions, including the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa and America. It has two types of fronds, cup-shaped, and antler-shaped. The antler-shaped fronds allow the fern to attach itself to trees, or crevices in rocks, while the cup shape fronds collect nutrients, including water runoff from the fern's host.
The Staghorn fern accounts for 18 of the 12,000 or so species of ferns on the planet. Some of these 18 species are very easy to grow, others are quite difficult. The fern does not grow naturally in the United States, except in the extreme southeast part of the country. When grown as a house plant, it may either be grown in a container, or attached to a wooden plank, a seemingly strange, but actually a quite normal practice, at least from the fern's point of view.
Like many species of fern, the Staghorn fern prefers filtered light, and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. It also grows well in cool to moderate temperatures, making it suitable as a houseplant. It prefers a level of humidity normally found in a rain forest environment. If grown in a container, the growing medium should be a balanced mix of good garden or potting soil, peat moss, and sand. Such a mix is intended to provide good drainage, while at the same time retaining sufficient amounts of moisture. The plant needs to be fertilized monthly during the growing season.
Many prefer to mount the fern on a board, more in keeping with its natural environment. Sphagnum moss is placed between the fern and the board to retain moisture, and the fern is then wired to the board. The fern will receive its nutrients from water running down the board, and captured by the fronds. When attached to a tree, in its natural environment, water running down the tree trunk normally contains the nutrients the fern requires. When mounted on a board or plank, this may not be the case, and supplemental feeding through applications of fertilizer is generally called for.
Watering the plank mounted fern is easy. The fern and plank are immersed in water, and then allowed to dry naturally. When the sphagnum moss between the fern and the plank begins to dry out, it is time to water the plant again.
As is the case with many other species of ferns, the Staghorn fern seldom has problems with pests or disease. Scales and mealy bugs seem to be the main culprit. Applying an oil based insecticide will often cure the problem, but may damage the fronds. This is a very long-lived plant, and once started, may live for 20 years or more. Needless to say, gardeners and homeowners can become quite attached to their "pet" Staghorn.