staghorn fern
Platycerium bifurcatum
RHS AGM 1993
USDA zones9 to 12
SunHandles partial sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Cascading
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Sand
- Soil pH
- Neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Staghorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum) is a fern for containers, specimen plantings, and shade gardens. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes part sun to full shade and average to moist, sandy soil. Deer and rabbits tend to browse other plants first. It grows slowly and forms a cascading clump of gray and silver fronds.
Pairs well with Japanese forest grass, Praying Hands hosta, and Fringed bleeding heart.
Native range
Africa, Comoros, Réunion, and Seychelles.