Platycerium
Platycerium holttumii
Holttum's staghorn fern
- Latin
- Platycerium holttumii
- Chinese
- 何其美鹿角蕨
- Japanese
- ホルタミー
- English
- Holttum's staghorn fern
Platycerium holttumii has thick, heavily veined fertile fronds that project forward in two unequal lobes, the short erect one forking again, above tall, deeply lobed shields that hold their white hairs and read pale. It is the species most often sold as P. wandae. A large single-crown species from lowland monsoon forest in Thailand and Indochina, spore-grown only, so compare the fertile fronds before you buy.
Care notes
How to recognise it
- Fertile fronds projecting forward in two unequal lobes: the short one stands up and forks again, the long one hangs; the fronds are thick, heavily veined, and reach outward rather than drooping.
- A clean growing point: no frill of lacerated tissue around it, unlike wandae.
- Pale shields: the stellate hairs stay on longer, so the shields read whiter, deeply lobed at the top.
- No pups: a single-crown species, so every plant is spore-grown or tissue-cultured.
- Telling it from wandae: in wandae the erect lobe stays entire and the growing point carries a frill of lacerated tissue. Juveniles are near-identical; only provenance separates them.
Native habitat
Platycerium holttumii grows on tree trunks in lowland monsoon forest across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, southern Vietnam and northern Peninsular Malaysia; some records extend it into southwest China. The habitat has a real dry season, which is why this staghorn fern tolerates a full dry-down better than P. wandae does.
Light
Bright, filtered light with some morning sun. Good light is what produces deeply cut shield lobes and thick, stiff fertile fronds. Shade it from midday sun behind glass; a scorched shield keeps its brown scar for years.
Water and humidity
Soak when the surface of the medium is dry. Once the shields have wrapped the board, the core stays damp long after the surface dries, so wait longer than you think. Aim for 60–80% humidity with constant air movement. In still, humid air the thick base of the fertile frond is the first thing to rot.
Medium and mounting
The roots are vigorous and take a generous sphagnum bed. Start on a large, thick board: a mature holttumii carries shields close to a metre across and cannot be remounted once they have closed over the board. Fix it to the wall for the wet weight of a mature plant.
Temperature and seasons (temperate, indoor)
Ideal range 20–32 °C. Indoors year-round in a temperate climate. Keep it above 12 °C; below 10 °C the bud and the newest fronds are damaged. Winter means less water, as much light as you can give it, and a fan running against dry heated air.
Common problems
- Slow as a juvenile: normal. Holttumii lags well behind wandae for its first years, then accelerates.
- Distorted or spotted new fronds: growers report sensitivity to sprays. Test one frond first.
- Cracked, dry shield edges: humidity too low.
- Looks exactly like wandae: see below.
Collector notes
Mother-plant expression. Look for deep, even lobing at the top of the shield and fertile fronds that are symmetrical, thick and stiff.
Propagation. A single-crown species with no pups. Every plant is spore-grown or tissue-cultured, and mislabelling is common, so ask the grower about the mother plant's expression and how it was propagated.
FAQ
How do I tell Platycerium holttumii from P. wandae?
On mature plants: wandae has a frill of lacerated tissue around the bud, holttumii does not; the short erect lobe of a holttumii fertile frond forks again and the frond is thick, heavily veined and held forward, while wandae's stays entire and hangs; holttumii shields keep their hairs and look whiter. Juveniles are indistinguishable.
Does Platycerium holttumii produce pups?
No. Like wandae, grande and superbum it grows as a single crown and cannot be divided. Every plant in trade was raised from spores or tissue culture, so ask the seller about the mother plant and the propagation method before you buy.
Why is my Platycerium holttumii growing so slowly?
Juvenile holttumii is naturally slow, noticeably slower than a wandae of the same age. It is a trait of the species, not a care failure. Give it bright light, an airy medium and winter warmth; once the shields start wrapping the board, growth picks up markedly.
How cold can Platycerium holttumii tolerate?
Treat 12 °C as the floor and keep it warmer if you can. Below 10 °C the bud and youngest fronds are damaged. In temperate climates grow it indoors year-round, reduce watering in winter, keep the light high and move it away from cold glass.
How big does Platycerium holttumii get?
In habitat the shield fronds approach a metre across and the fertile fronds pass a metre in length. Cultivated plants run a little smaller but it remains a large species, so plan the board and the wall fixing for the mature plant from day one; remounting later is rarely possible.
Related species
Species often compared with, or mistaken for, this one.