Published
Are Staghorn Ferns Hard to Grow? What Beginners Need to Know Before and After Buying
Staghorns have a reputation for being beautiful but difficult, mostly left over from earlier years. On keeping one alive alone they are among the easier foliage plants: the medium is sphagnum, not soil, so no fungus gnats indoors. What matters is care by environment, which form to buy, and the first month.
The reputation is out of date
Many people think of staghorn ferns as beautiful but expensive and hard to keep alive. That impression mostly dates from when species were scarce and prices high. Over the past few years they have become far more common in Taiwan, with options from beginner to advanced, an active community and information that is easy to find. On keeping one alive alone, staghorns are among the easier foliage plants.
Why they are easy: the medium is not soil
In Taiwan they are mostly mounted on boards with sphagnum rather than potted in soil, so they do not bring the fungus gnats, grubs or ants into the house that potting soil can. Day-to-day care is simple too: hang it on a wall and keep the sphagnum slightly moist.
Three kinds of space, three ways to grow
Outdoors unsheltered, direct sun is the main risk; choose a resilient, already-mature species such as P. bifurcatum, one that can be left to the weather. A balcony is usually lit from one side only, so the plant leans toward the light — rotate it regularly, and hang shade cloth if the spot gets direct sun. Indoors, ordinary household lighting is nowhere near enough; a grow light is required, not optional the way it might be for foliage plants — see light and sun exposure. Winter cold just pauses growth; it comes back once it warms up, see cold snap care.
Sporeling, pup or mounted plant
Each species comes as a sporeling, a pup or an established mounted plant. For a first plant, choose a mounted specimen that has already settled: roots gripping the board, shields wrapped around it, the widest margin for error. If you want to start from a sporeling, pick a forgiving species such as bifurcatum or hillii; do not learn to water on a ridleyi seedling. The differences between the three sources are in pup, sporeling or tissue culture, and how to read a seller's description is in how to read plant listings.
Before you buy: check the source
Ask whether it is a pup, a sporeling or tissue culture, and whether the seller can explain the mother plant and how it was propagated. Seeing the plant in person and asking about mounting and the growing point face to face does more to avoid a mismatch between name and plant than photos online. For reading the words on a listing, see the glossary.
The first month
Keep the new plant in filtered light for a week or two, then increase the light in stages. Water by the weight of the board, not by the calendar; the method is in how often to water, and light is covered in light and sun exposure. The goal of the first month is not growth. It is survival.
Growing one beautifully still takes some skill, but the bar for simply keeping it alive is lower than most people expect. On which species to choose, see which staghorn fern to buy first.
FAQ
Are staghorn ferns really hard to grow?
Not if the goal is keeping one alive. In Taiwan they are mostly mounted on boards with sphagnum rather than soil, and daily care is hanging it on a wall and keeping the moss slightly moist. What usually goes wrong for beginners is overwatering, too little light or midday sun, all covered in the care-by-environment section above. Growing one beautifully is where the skill comes in.
Will keeping one indoors bring bugs into the house?
Far fewer than a potted plant. Staghorns are mostly mounted with sphagnum and no soil, so they do not bring in the fungus gnats, grubs or ants that potting soil can. Moss kept too wet or left too long can attract woodlice, which is a sign the medium needs attention — see the article on scorched tips and pests.
Should a beginner buy a sporeling, a pup or a mounted plant?
A mounted plant. An established specimen has roots gripping the board and shields wrapped around it, so a slip in watering does not kill it; the margin for error is widest. Sporelings and fresh pups have no root system yet and are most often lost to overwatering in the first six months. If you want to raise one from a sporeling, choose a forgiving species like bifurcatum or hillii, not ridleyi.
Related species