Platycerium
Platycerium wallichii
butterfly staghorn fern
- Latin
- Platycerium wallichii
- Chinese
- 蝴蝶鹿角蕨
- Japanese
- ワリチー
- English
- butterfly staghorn fern
Platycerium wallichii, the butterfly staghorn fern, comes from the monsoon forests of north-east India, Indochina and southern Yunnan. Its broad, fan-shaped fertile fronds split into three uneven lobes like open wings, above tall crown-lobed shields. A single-bud, spore-grown species with a true dry-season rest: shields brown out, fertile fronds curl, and watering has to drop with them.
Care notes
Native habitat
Platycerium wallichii grows as an epiphyte in monsoon forest from north-east India (Assam) and Bangladesh through Myanmar, northern Thailand and Vietnam into southern Yunnan, at roughly 200–1000 m. It is the only staghorn fern native to mainland China and is a Class II protected plant there. The home climate has a hard dry season from about November to February, during which the plant sheds its fronds and rests; the monsoon brings it back.
Light
Bright, filtered light, shaded about 50% in summer. Give it full light in the growing season so the shield crown stands up; light matters little while it rests.
Water and humidity
In growth (spring to early autumn) it is thirsty: soak when the moss is just dry, at 60–80% humidity. Once it rests, cut water hard and keep the moss barely damp, like a wrung-out towel, neither soaked nor bone dry. Growers disagree about whether to allow the rest at all: some withhold water and let it sleep, others keep it slightly moist all year to prevent dormancy. Either way, never water a resting plant as if it were growing.
Medium and mounting
Temperature and seasons (temperate, indoor)
Ideal 20–30 °C. Below about 15 °C growth stops, the shields brown out completely and the fertile fronds curl inward: that is dormancy. Keep it above 10 °C, away from cold draughts, and almost dry. Some sources report that sustained heat above 32 °C also stalls it, so ventilate in summer. Resume normal watering only when a new green shield emerges from the centre in spring.
Common problems
- All shields brown and fertile fronds curled in winter: dormant, not dead.
- Watering through dormancy: crown rot, the most common way to lose it.
- No sign of life in spring: check that the growing point is still green and wait until April or May.
- Spores fail to germinate: they are green and short-lived, sow them soon after collection.
Collector notes
Identification. Broad, fan-shaped fertile fronds with prominent veins, split at the base into three uneven lobes, one long and one short, with the small outer lobe sterile; the whole frond opens like a butterfly's wings. Two large spore patches sit in the first sinus of the two main lobes, and the patches are second only to P. elephantotis in width. Shields are tall and cut three to five times into a crown.
Wallichii vs alcicorne. Some overseas material also calls the African P. alcicorne a butterfly staghorn; in Taiwan that name is reserved for wallichii. Wallichii is single-bud, rests in the dry season, has crown-lobed shields and spore patches in the sinus; alcicorne is multi-bud, never truly rests, has round entire shields and spore patches near the tips of the segments.
Mother-plant expression. Judge by the spread and symmetry of the fertile fronds and by how completely the plant returns after its rest.
FAQ
My Platycerium wallichii turned completely brown in winter. Is it dead?
Almost certainly dormant. It comes from a climate with a dry season, and below about 15 °C it browns every shield and curls its fertile fronds inward, which looks like death. Check that the growing point in the centre is still green; if so, cut water, keep it out of draughts and wait for a new shield in spring.
Should I water Platycerium wallichii during dormancy?
Only a little. Keep the moss barely damp, like a wrung-out towel, never soaked and never bone dry, and skip watering entirely during cold snaps. Overwatering a resting plant is the main cause of crown rot. Growers disagree on whether to allow dormancy at all; many in Taiwan keep it well watered in the growing season so it never fully sleeps.
How do I tell Platycerium wallichii from P. alcicorne?
Wallichii is single-bud, rests in the dry season, has tall crown-lobed shields, broad fan-shaped fertile fronds in three uneven lobes, and two large spore patches in the first sinus. Alcicorne is multi-bud, never truly rests, has round entire shields, narrow repeatedly forked fertile fronds and spore patches near the segment tips. Some overseas material calls alcicorne a butterfly staghorn too; Taiwan does not.
Does Platycerium wallichii produce pups?
It is generally regarded as a single-bud species that pups rarely if ever, so plants on the market are spore-grown. Its spores are green and short-lived and should be sown soon after collection. Sporelings vary visibly in frond width and lobing, so ask the seller how the plant was propagated and what the mother plant looked like.
Why is Platycerium wallichii called the butterfly staghorn fern?
Because of the fertile fronds. They are broad and fan-shaped with prominent veins, split at the base into three uneven lobes, and a pair of them opening to either side looks like butterfly wings. Other names such as Indian staghorn and Wallich's staghorn refer to the same species; in China it is simply the staghorn fern, being the only native one.