Plant Care Guides / Indoor / Advanced Care
The staghorn fern is one of the most unusual plants you can grow indoors. It produces two types of fronds: flat, round basal fronds that press against the mount and form the plant's anchor, and long, forked, antler-shaped fronds that reach outward, giving it the staghorn look. It is an epiphyte, meaning it grows on trees in the wild rather than in soil, so it is usually mounted on a board or grown in a hanging basket rather than a pot.
The flat basal fronds turn brown and papery as they age. Do not remove them. They are the plant's support system and moisture reservoir, and new ones grow over the top of the old. The forked fronds have a fine, silvery fuzz that protects them from sun and water loss, do not wipe it off.
Bright, indirect light. Some gentle morning sun is fine, but avoid harsh direct sun, which burns the fronds. Too little light and the antler fronds grow thin and floppy.
This is the tricky part. Mounted staghorns need watering differently from potted plants. Soak the root ball (or the entire mount) in water for 15 to 20 minutes once a week, then let it drain and dry before the next soak. In winter, reduce to every two weeks. If it is potted, water when the top of the medium is dry but before the whole thing dries out. It needs humidity, so mist the fronds between soakings, especially in dry weather.
Feed monthly through spring and summer by adding a dilute liquid fertiliser to the soaking water.
Not potted in the traditional sense. If mounted on a board, it stays there indefinitely, growing larger over time. If in a hanging basket, use a loose, airy mix of orchid bark, sphagnum moss and perlite. Never use standard potting soil, which suffocates the roots.
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