Have a Look at Some of my Staghorn Fern Collection
I simply love ferns and over the years, I have amassed quite a collection. I find it amazing that there are more than 12,000 different species of these non-flowering perennials and I love the fact that ferns were some of the first plants on earth, first appearing in the fossil record 360 million years ago! Ferns are so versatile for both planting in pots and in the landscape. I feel fortunate to have large greenhouses in which many tropical varieties can survive the harsh winters of the northeast. One of my favorite types of fern, and probably one of the most unusual is the staghorn. There are several species of staghorn ferns, but the members of the genus Platycerium, have fronds that are antler-like in appearance, thus their name.
1 The covered porch on the side of my house that overlooks the farm is the perfect place to hang big baskets of ferns, in particular, Boston ferns and staghorn ferns.
2 I love the way these lush green ferns catch the sunlight.
3 Now that autumn has arrived and the temperatures are growing cooler, these ferns, which are native to the tropics, will soon be moved into a heated greenhouse for the winter.
4 The staghorn is one of my favorite types of ferns, and probably one of the most unusual. The leaves of many of the members of the staghorn genus - Platycerium - are antler-like in appearance rather than like a typical fern’s foliage.
5 These hanging ferns are growing on wire baskets filled with sphagnum moss. They were attached to the basket with monofilament, or fishing line.
6 Like orchids, staghorn ferns are epiphytic, which means that they don't need soil to grow in.
7 This staghorn is sharing its hanging basket with another fern called a maidenhair, a delicate variety.
8 And this one has trailing ivy cascading down.
9 Native to the jungles of the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australia, Madagascar, Africa, and the Americas, these plants are well suited for growing in warm and humid climates.
10 In their natural environment, staghorns attach themselves to tree trunks, branches, or rocks and get their nutrition primarily from air and water.
11 The leaves of ferns are called fronds and the staghorn grows two very different types of fronds.
12 Sterile fronds are flat and roundish and are located at the base of the plant.
13 The sterile fronds start out green and fade to brown.
14 Emerging from the basal fronds are long and leathery antler-like fertile fronds, which form reproductive spores on the underside.
15 Here's a good example of those reproductive spores, which are brown in color and are produced on the undersides of the fertile fronds.
16 In their natural habitat, the spores are released and carried by the wind. If they land on a moist and suitable location, they will begin the next generation of staghorn ferns.
17 But staghorns can also reproduce by means of 'pups' which are small plantlets that mature plants produce.
18 This was a pup, detached from its parent and is now growing mounted on a wooden board. It hangs on the house on a brass screw with strong picture wire attached to the backside of the board.
19 The pups were placed over a bed of damp sphagnum moss and secured to the board with monofilament. The fern will eventually attach itself to the board and will also form new growth, covering the fishing line.
20 This is a great shot of a sterile frond with the emerging fertile fronds. The flat shield covers root-like structures that attach to supports.
21 As the sterile fronds turn brown, it's important to leave them intact. Besides holding the plant in place, the spaces between the layers of sterile fronds attract water and decaying vegetation, supplying moisture and humus to the plant.
22 This is a good example of how new pups were formed and allowed to mature into adult plants. This staghorn will need to be mounted onto a larger structure - perhaps a hanging wire basket.
23 Spanish moss is another kind of epiphyte which absorbs water and nutrients from the air. In fact, it's commonly referred to as an 'air plant.'
24 This Spanish moss shares a piece of bark with an small orchid, another epiphyte.
25 This gigantic and incredible staghorn fern was a gift from my television crew about 15 years ago. It was a specimen that had been growing in an old greenhouse for about 80 years.
26 This mass of ferns has been living all that time attached to an old ceramic drainpipe. Because of its size, the greenhouse is its permanent home.
Martha Pins
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I, too, like ferns, Martha, but I no longer have but one kind. Maybe some year, I'll get some of the others. I used to have one that looked like a bunch of fingers, and someone also said it was called a bear claw, but I never did know what it was, except beautiful.
Thanks for showing us yours.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | October 1st, 2012 at 12:49 am
Wow, those leaves do look like antlers. I've never seen a plant like that. I like how it is mounted on a wooden board and hangs on the house - similar to how antlers would be mounted.
Posted by: Julia | JuliasAlbum.com | October 1st, 2012 at 4:52 am
I have a staghorn fern. It was given to me by my Mother's neighbor. I live in New York(East Syracuse), they live in Ormond Bch, Fl. I, thanks to you, now know mine is called a pup. It is also on a board. I just moved it to my cellar. I was told to feed it a banana peel occasionally. So far it seems to be doing well. I also have a potted Ponytail palm. It also started as a small potted one and now, after 3 transplants, is 3 ft tall. I love it. I move that inside every fall when the nights get frosty. Thanks very much Martha about the info on the staghorn fern.
Posted by: Gail Hildreth | October 1st, 2012 at 6:34 am
Martha, thanks for sharing your ferns.
Posted by: KLBrown | October 1st, 2012 at 7:16 am
I love your covered side porch Martha. I know I've commented before how I think it looks so southern with all the ferns! I too love ferns and you have an extraordinary collection of them. Staghorns are fascinating aren't they, It's amazing what they attach themselves to. Thanks for this blog Martha, I always learn something new!
Posted by: Cindy F | October 1st, 2012 at 7:37 am
Hi Martha - Thanks for sharing! How's the new boxwood garden behind the summer house coming along?
Posted by: Walter H. | October 1st, 2012 at 9:17 am
Hi Martha,
I so enjoy pictures of your home and your plants. The staghorn is an interesting plant as are the epiphytes.
I learn so much when I read your blog.
Thanks for this blog Martha. I also learn something new.
Susie
Posted by: susie | October 1st, 2012 at 9:52 am
Hi Martha, I love staghorn ferns, also, and recall seeing them on your TV Shows and in photos on your blog before! They are one of the most beautiful, unusual ferns and these around your Bedford farm home are absolute;y beautiful and they do a great job of adding beauty to your fantastic home! I love everyone of your magnificent photos and the information you gave us about your staghorn and other ferns is fascinating and inspiring! I have some lovely ferns in my yard and they can handle the hot and cold weather! I would love to grow some of those staghorn ferns and maybe could if I added some heat to my small greenhouse in the winter time! Would it be possible to grow them in inside my home?! That would be lovely, too! How thoughtful that your TV crew gave you that gigantic and incredible staghorn fern 15 years ago! It's almost 100 years old now! Sure hope you have another great day! Off to see The Daily Wag where Francesca is "Decorating For Autumn!" Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | October 1st, 2012 at 10:14 am
Love those ferns, Martha!
Posted by: Sharon | October 1st, 2012 at 10:31 am
We definitely have the right climate down here for growing stag horn ferns and a lot of people have them. When my neighbor on the corner moved in, she brought one with her that got so big she decided to let it go. It’s hanging in the landscape of some beautiful building in West Palm Beach now. It’s a good thing she let it go though because she had it hanging in her grapefruit tree which had to be cut down later when the citrus trees got that canker virus down here. That fern was so big and heavy there was no way she could have moved it to another tree anyway and it would have lost its splendor if she separated it. I decided I didn’t want any of the pups when I saw how big they can get. They are slow growers but I think they grow faster down here than they do up north.
~
Air plants are funny sometimes like the one I took out of a plant arrangement that was given to us. It was a little thing growing on a piece of driftwood so I put it outside with other driftwood that I have. It just sort of sat there for years never growing much at all so when I got rid of the other driftwood, I moved this air plant up to higher ground. I stuck it in a hanging planter where I have some greenery and also where I test plants out to see if they can take the sun and heat. Anyway, the air plant seems to like its new location because it is growing to beat the band. I’m always trying to get a picture of it whenever I see a bird land on the planter but no luck yet with a bird.
~
Thanks for today’s lesson on stag horn ferns. I’m wondering if the fern that is growing on that drain pipe would get bigger if it attached itself to something else like a tree log maybe. But of course the drain pipe is holding up well but one day it might break. By the way, I love your Boston ferns and I often wish I had a porch to hang them like you do. The next one I get I’m going to put underneath my philodendron where it will get some shade. The last one I had didn’t do well on my hot patio. Well, have a nice day! Trish
Posted by: Trish | October 1st, 2012 at 10:36 am
Martha I love ferns too! I live in Texas. It is very difficult to grow them outdoors here. I simply don't have extended hours of shade in my yard. However, I recieved a "Dallas Fern" on February 23, 1988. It was a gift from friends the day after my son was born. That plant has survived numberous moves and still thrives. I have found the best place for it to grow is our masterbath. I have it on a pedalstool so my cats don't desturb it. The humity and light is a perfect combination. I wish I too could have a greenhouse. Yours is amazing!
Posted by: Tina Paine | October 1st, 2012 at 11:07 am
Hello Martha, I absolutely love ferns and yours are extremely beautiful. The Spanish moss I did'nt know yet, it's cute...
Posted by: Maria Lúcia | October 1st, 2012 at 11:55 am
P.S. I can't believe the new programming on Hallmark Channel called Home & Family which runs for two hours with Marie in between and then two more repeat hours of Home & Family. HELP! David Arquette is the first guest and boy does he look uncomfortable. Anyway, GAG, give us the Martha Show back - put it in a barn if Hallmark can't afford to pay the studio costs. I'd watch you with just a table on your front porch instead of this Home & Family stuff. Give us the expert, Martha, back! There is nothing worse than people who have learned a few things from you trying to put on their own show! Just my opinion. Trish
Posted by: Trish | October 1st, 2012 at 12:05 pm
I love staghorns! So.. I'm sitting here in my jammies in Bangkok and it's 11:45 PM and I come across the Martha Show...Something we cant get in Canada!
Well done.
Posted by: Holiday Baker Man | October 1st, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Miss the Hallmark show very much. Happy to hear you'll be cooking on PBS, but there is so much more to learn...crafts, decorating, travel and now grandparenting! Maybe we'll find you on the Travel Channel, The DIY channel and Lifetime? I'll be surfing!
Posted by: Karen | October 1st, 2012 at 1:30 pm
I love your Staghorn Ferns,they are so neat,never saw them before,they do look like Antlers,I also see in the back ground the fall colors of your tree's,so pretty'maybe you could share some of your lovely tree's in there fall colors with all of us that read your blog on a daily bases-lovely pictures Martha-
Posted by: Fran | October 1st, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Lovely Martha. I have come to love ferns, especially those that have surprised us over the years.
Posted by: nantucket Daffodil | October 1st, 2012 at 7:56 pm
I can not find your TV show on Hallmark, nor Mad Hungry --what is going on???
Posted by: Yvonne | October 2nd, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Miss your show on the Hallmark channIel. When are you coming back with new shows. I enjoyed all the old shows they were running all summer. I love all your crafts and receipes for the fall and holiday season. Miss you! Hurry back!
Posted by: Debbie | October 2nd, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Wow! I love those ferns
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | October 2nd, 2012 at 7:27 pm
Hi Martha, The ferns are beautiful. I really enjoy your garden posts and segments. I have been an avid gardener my whole life and now I have turned my hobby into a business. My wife loves your blog and show and always has me looking at a post or a segment on the show that relates to gardening or certain herbs or vegetables that we grow here in San Antonio in our garden and greenhouse. The staghorns are just gorgeous and sort of remind me of some deer on our ranch while growing up in Leakey, Texas. I am not yet selling live plants, but I will look into growing them from seed. Thank you for the inspiration.
Posted by: David Schulze | October 3rd, 2012 at 6:57 am
Dear Martha !
a little comment from Belgium: did you know we call Spanish Moss here "Abraham's Beard" ?
thanks for all your posts and lovely photographs !
regards from the other side of the ocean,
Hanne
Posted by: Hanne Niehe | October 3rd, 2012 at 10:12 am
Is that true? Feed a staghorn fern a banana peel ever so often?
Martha, your staghorn ferns are exquisite! I love, love, love porches adorned with plants, and just looking at your's with the ferns feels like a meditation. And your exquisite farm with the apples trees laden with fruit makes me salivate.
Posted by: Joyce Davis | October 3rd, 2012 at 1:07 pm
Martha I really miss your show on Hallmark!! Please let us know if you're coming back! I mean your show was the only show I honestly enjoyed! Take care, love from Houston.
Posted by: Ana Cardenas | October 3rd, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Missing you on Hallmark! Will watch your cooking school, but I really loved the crafts and decor! Lots of cooking show out there but bot many classy DIY shows. You are also the reason I now have an iPad in my kitchen! Works great for my recipes! Thanks for bringing an oldie into the 21st century kitchen!
Posted by: Millie Landin | October 3rd, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Love your farm Martha, that's my dream (although not that big) my big stag is nearly as big as your drainpipe one & it's growing on the trunk of a Liquid Amber tree, so it gets plenty of sunshine in the winter & is well shaded in our hot summers in Oz. I've been 'feeding mine banana skins & occasionally it gets the the leftover cold tea, leaves & all. When they are young we have to watch that they don't get that pesky stag beetle. We call the Spanish Moss by that but a lot of us 'oldies' mostly call it 'Old mans' whiskers' all mine don't get very long though, as the birds 'steel' it for their nests. So there's quite a lot of 'up market' nest here, especially the little finches. Miss your show but glad for the internet. I don't know what channel PBS is here, I was still able to watch you on lifestyle when you moved to Hallmark, Hallmark here is a movie channel.
Posted by: Pauline Hulett | October 6th, 2012 at 11:55 am
Your porch is beautiful and such a lovely human-sized place to be. Thanks for sharing. I love the romantic look of Spanish moss. It used to be common in some places but because it gets nutrients from the air, pollution easily kills it off. Spanish moss is then sort of like a canary in the coal mine for air quality.
Posted by: Karen | October 20th, 2012 at 10:28 pm
HI MARTHA
I AM ONE OF YOUR FANS IN IRAQ I LOVE THE WAY YOU LIVE AND YOUR PASSION TO ORGANIZATION OF EVERY THING AS I AM ACIVIL ENGINEER I LOVE TO ORGANIZE EVERY THING IN MY HOUSE I FOLLOW THE USEFULL TIPS OF YOU
I LIKE THESE LOVLEY FERNS
YOU ARE AINNOVATION CREATIVE PERSON WISH TO MEET YOU
WISH YOU PROGRESS AND GOOD LUCK
Posted by: NASREEN | October 24th, 2012 at 5:45 am
Martha, thank you so much for sharing your staghorn ferns. I was looking to find out what the brown tips is on my fern, so your information was very helpful. I didn't know there was so many beautiful varieties.
Posted by: Sandy Schubert | October 27th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Oh Martha ...(( sigh) I adore your ferns your love of plants and I have been a fan since the beginning...I hate that I look on Hallmark and can't find when you will air or catch tv guide and see you maybe on another network...Life is empty without your calming voice...your beautiful grace and charm.. you are so beautiful to all of us inside and out .your laugh ha ha Oh Martha please come back and bring Mark Marone back with Pet keeping what a loss...I do not like the replacements Marie and that other stupid show..When you know the best recipe is just simple...A bit of Martha and you are good for the day...It was a good thing"" but it can't end baby Jude needs to know Grandma is still active and teaching all of us so much ..please come back dearest Martha
most respectively yours...a true friend and fan J'aime in Florida
Posted by: J'aime | November 7th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
I have a large staghorn. The wire basket is coming apart. I need help to replant or fix the basket. Any suggestions?
Posted by: Laura | December 28th, 2012 at 7:15 am
Everyone is right! I reall miss you on television stations. Miss all of your shows.
Its like having your personnal teacher in your living room. Do not enjoy the new
show home & waterever. Please come back. Youu are my idol.
Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, and a very Happy & healthy New Year, with your Famil;y. Hope to see you soon again.
Loving Always
Posted by: Pat Montuori | January 3rd, 2013 at 7:20 pm
I have a staghorn that I want to mount on the wall onto a board or something that won't leak when it is watered. I live in VA and have this staghorn in a sunny room along with many different Christmas cactus' . The room has a wooden floor and I don't want it to get wet during watering. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Posted by: sylvia | January 23rd, 2013 at 5:24 pm