Platycerium elephantotis

elephant ear staghorn fern
Unusual for a platycerium, this plants leaves don’t fork, giving it a broad elephant ear appearance. One of the largest staghorns, growing up to four feet wide! Epiphyte loves mounting.
height 2–6ft
width 2–4ft
tolerates Heat, Pots
water
needs		 When soil surface is damp.
water
info		 Most staghorns appreciate mostly drying out between waterings, but not this one! It likes to be evenly moist so water it when the growth medium doesn’t feel squishy wet, but you still some moisture in the surface layer. If you let this plant go mostly dry, or worse totally dry, it doesn’t bounce back quickly as many others do.
hardy
to		 50F
exposure Moderate Indirect – Partial Direct
indoor
outdoor		 Indoor
drainage Orchid Bark
origin Tropical Africa
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 H2

Sunset Zones Map

Indoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

This stag horn is epiphytic meaning that it grow on trees not in the soil. Grow them mounted over sphagnum moss or orchid bark. In pots give them fast draining cactus mix. They should not be planted in the ground.
There are two leaf forms, the ‘ears’ which grow the reproduction spores (though in this selection they are sterile) and the ‘feet’ or ‘shield’ that anchor the plant and collect detritus to feed the plant. By tucking banana peals or other organic matter (compost) under the ‘feet’ you can easily feed the plant. You can also give a mild acid fertilizer, that simulates the acidifying nature of the decomposing leaf matter this fern lives on in nature. There are also reports that a light all purpose fertilizer works fine as well.
The elephant ear staghorn does better in lower light levels than the typical Platycerium bifurcatum.