Ep. 17 - Mounting Staghorn Ferns

Are Staghorn Ferns a vegan alternative to mounted taxidermy?

According to our guest in Episode 17, they are! Platycerium ferns are known for their coarsely branched fronds that resemble antlers more than the delicate, airy foliage of other ferns. They have certain cultural requirements for success, but these are fantastic as houseplants and one of the best ferns for indoor success. The Plant Daddies bring a friend on the show to teach him how to mount (“with ruthless efficiency”) and care for these botanical oddities.

Mentioned in this episode:

• plants as living art

• unconventional growing techniques, and how this might be an ideal fern for a first venture into growing mounted plants

• the process and maintenance of a mounted Staghorn Fern

Get your supplies in order

Supplies for this project include a suitable mounting plaque (we used cedar fencing cut to size), a healthy Staghorn, 1" screws (or nails), twine, and moss. Here we use decorative moss, but sphagnum is a good option as well.

Ready to start

John gets an overview of the process, and we are ready to begin!

Step 1

Unpot the Staghorn and clear away loose soil from the root ball, but leave most of it intact. This will be the substrate it grows in on the mount.

Here is the Staghorn, ready to position on the mount.

Step 2

John determines the perimeter along which he will be adding screws, leaving about a half inch exposed to serve as anchors for the twine that will hold the Staghorn in place.

Step 3

Cover the rootball in a thick enough layer of moss to cover the root ball completely, and keep the substrate in place. It will help hold in moisture and give a clean aesthetic appearance.

Step 4

With the moss and screws in place, it is time to use twine to secure the Staghorn solidly in place by crossing back and forth across the root ball until it is secure. Be sure that all of the moss is tightly secured to prevent substrate from falling out of the mount.

Step 5

Double-check that when the Staghorn is in a hanging position, that nothing shifts, the moss and substrate stay in place, and add more twine if necessary. It should be snug!

The Staghorn is mounted!

Soak the whole plant thoroughly (we prefer to do this in a sink), allow it to drain, then hang it up in a bright spot and enjoy! Soak the whole plaque weekly, or as the substrate dries, and mist the plant occasionally to supplement its water.