Perennials, Tropicals, Ferns > Platycerium > Platycerium superbum > Platycerium superbum
Platycerium superbum
Staghorn, Staghorn Fern
Origin: Australia.
| Family |
| Polypodiaceae |
| Genus |
| Platycerium |
| Species |
| superbum |
| Category |
| Perennials, Tropicals, Ferns |
| Synonyms |
| Alcicornium superbum |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 9b - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1c - H3 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -5 - 10 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 23 - 50 |
| Height |
| 1.8 - 2.4 m |
| Spread |
| 2.4 - 3 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Evergreen fern that is found attached to trees in the wild, and grown for the foliage. |
| Cultivation |
| Best grown in partial to full shade, with neutral to slightly acidic, well-drained soil. Water regularly, do not overwater and do not allow soil to dry out. Sometimes found growing attached to trees. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Fronds angle upwards, like the antlers of a stag. |
| Pests |
| Beetles and moth larvae. Leaves will become damaged if allowed to dry out. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Short rhizomes, usually obscured by fronds. |
| Leaf Description |
| There are two types of fronds on the plant - sterile and fertile. Sterile fronds are broad, adpressed to substrate, based round to kidney-shaped, persistent, 120 to 150 cm long and 90 to 135 cm wide. Fertile fronds are drooping, usually growing in pairs of equal sizes up to 1 m long, narrowly wedge-shaped and tick at bases, broadening upward. Major veins are evident. |
| Flower Description |
| Non-flowering. |
| Colour Description |
| Fronds are green, with the sterile fronds turning brown over time. |
| Texture Description |
| Fronds are covered with soft, stellate hairs when young. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. |
| Propagation |
| From spores. |
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