Platycerium biforcatum - Exotic Houseplant - 6 Pot

The tropical forests of southeast Asia and Australia are the home of the staghorn fern, an epiphyte. This plant has a short rhizome from which both sterile and fertile fronds sprout. The sterile fronds are rounded and form a sort of involucre which encases the branch on which the plant is attached. From these sprout the fronds which carry the reproductive apparatus, recognizable by a sort of rusty down situated in the ventral part of the plant. The fronds are long, wide, and laciniated at the top.

Staghorn Fern is one of the more unusual house plants, as it grows without its roots in soil and produces 2 types of fronds. One type is the branched frond that gives the plant its name, while the other round, flat frond forms a collar around the branched fronds. The round frond may be 3 to 4 inches across on young plants but can grow up to 3 to 4 feet across on older plants.

Ideal temperatures for the Staghorn Fern range between 60 degrees and 80 degrees, and it prefers bright, but indirect light. This exotic houseplant, Platycerium biforcatum, is available in a 6" pot from Hirt's Gardens, a provider of Garden & Patio products.

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