I know that I frequently say that some plant is one of my favorite plants in the world, but this one might be my very most favorite of all.

What can I say about this plant other than that it is magnificent. When people view my collection, its the Platycerium wandae that always stops them in their tracks and takes their breath away. I can’t blame them, I’ve been staring at this plant every day for fourteen years, and it still leaves me breathless. I can honestly say that this was the first plant that led me down the path of the rare and the odd in the plant world, and I’ve never looked back.

Binomial nomenclature

Platycerium wandae

Origin

New Guinea

Description

This large fern produces enormous sterile fronds, like a large battle shield, with forks off of the top edge. The fertile fronds have two lobes with long fingers hanging down off of their lower edge. In between those two lobes, on the underside of the frond is a large spore patch. Each fertile frond also has a second spore patch located on the lower side of a large triangular lobe. This species is easily identified by the prominent frills around the central growth bud. These frills are only seen in Platycerium wandae.

Size

This plant is one of the four “giant” staghorns. The fertile fronds can reach lengths of 6′ or larger. The spread across the top of the sterile fronds can be 6′ or larger as well.

Temp/zone

P. wandae prefers temperatures to be above 60°F. It will survive short periods of colder temperatures. Damage will begin to occur below 40°F

Light

Bright filtered shade.

Water

Water regularly, but don’t keep it too wet. This species likes high humidity.

Fertilizer

I fertilize all of my staghorn ferns with dilute (half strength) orchid fertilizer, once a month during the spring and summer. Many people put banana peels on top of their staghorn fern. I have found that this only serves to invite insects and rats to your plants, and I haven’t found it to be of any benefit.

Cultivation

This fern, prefers to be mounted on a sphagnum covered wood plaque. P. wandae does not do well growing on a hanging basket. None of the giant staghorn ferns produce “pups”, so asexual reproduction is not possible with these species.

Pests

Scale and mealy bug, sometimes attack P. wandae. I use imidacloprid (Bayer, rose and shrub)