Origin
South America
Light
Dappled shade
Watering
Twice a week
Care
Expert
Flowering
Foliage
Indoor
Platycerium
A fern that lives on trees, not in soil: two kinds of frond, one a shield, the other a stag's antler.
Care Profile
A guide to ensuring your botanical companion thrives.
Origin
Australia
Light
Bright indirect
Watering
Misting only
Maintenance
Moderate
The mounted fern
An epiphyte of eastern Australia's coastal forests, it clings to trunks with no soil at all: its shield-shaped sterile fronds gather the water and litter that feed it.
Those shields brown with age without dying: they are the plant's reservoir and should never be pulled off.
"It builds its own soil, frond by frond."
01
Styling Tip 01
On a board or hanging
Mount it on a board with sphagnum rather than potting it: the roots want air as much as water.
02
Styling Tip 02
Dunk, don't water
Soak the base in water for ten minutes once a week, then let it drain completely.
03
Styling Tip 03
Never polish the fronds
The silvery down covering them is protection: no damp cloth, no leaf shine products.
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Origin
Southeast Asia
Light
Low to bright
Watering
Weekly
Care
Easy
Flowering
Foliage