Platycerium is a genus of about 18 fern species in the polypod family, Polypodiaceae. Ferns in this genus are widely known as staghorn or elkhorn ferns due to their uniquely shaped fronds. This genus is epiphytic and is native to tropical and temperate areas of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Guinea. Platycerium hillii is native to Queensland, Australia. Typically the shield fronds are roundish or kidney shaped. The shields grow close together, tightly pressed, into layers of old fronds. Top edge is wavy or shallow lobed. The shield fronds grow in the autumn and winter months. Because the shield frond grows close to its mounting, getting water to the root ball can be challenging.

Platycerium superbum, commonly known as the staghorn fern, is native to Australia. Platycerium superbum is a bracket epiphyte naturally occurring in and near rainforests but is now also widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for gardens. In both naturally occurring and propagated forms, these ferns develop a humus-collecting “nest” of non-fertile fronds and in doing so can grow up to 1 metre wide. The ferns also develop hanging fertile fronds that can reach up to 2 metres long. Both fertile and non-fertile fronds are broad and branching and grown to resemble the horns of a stag or elk, thus the common names stag horn or elk horn. The plant gives off many tiny spores that drift to nearby trees to reproduce.

Handle with great care – Spores are finer than dust!