Staghorn Ferns

Staghorns are epiphytes, so they grow on trees in the jungle.

Small staghorn ferns can be grown in pots or as Kokedama balls. Eventually, though, they will probably need to be repotted. They can grow on a wooden plank or in a wire hanging basket. Andriana Syvanych/Shutterstock

Q: I received a staghorn fern as a Christmas present. It is on a small wooden board. I don’t have any place to hang it. Can I put it in a pot? What kind of soil should I use?

A: Your fern is the most commonly grown of the 18 species of staghorn or elkhorn ferns: Platycerium bifurcatum. All 18 species are called staghorn or elkhorn ferns. They are found in Africa, Asia, Australia, and one species is from South America. The bifurcatum species is native to rainforests of Java, New Guinea and eastern Australia. They have become naturalized in Florida and Hawaii, where they are becoming invasive.