Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Platycerium bifurcatum
Elkhorn Fern
Platycerium bifurcatum, the Elkhorn Fern, is an epiphyte that grows on trees and rock rather than in soil, and it carries two completely different kinds of frond: flat, rounded shield fronds that clasp the host and catch falling litter, and grey-green forked fertile fronds that hang down from them. Over years it builds a spreading clump of overlapping shields.
It is mounted on a board, a post or a host trunk, and it is one of the few plants that turns a blank shaded wall into a planted surface without a soil volume.
Specifications
- Height0.5 to 1 metre
- Width0.6 to 1.5 metres, widening steadily as the clump builds
- Native toEastern Australia, New Guinea and Java
- FoliageTwo frond types: flat rounded shield fronds clasping the host, and hanging grey-green forked fertile fronds; evergreen
- Growth rateSlow to moderate
Conditions
- SoilGrown without soil, mounted on a board, post or tree trunk, or set in a coarse open basket medium
- LightPartial shade; bright indirect light and no hot afternoon sun
- WaterModerate; water the mount and let it dry slightly between waterings
- ClimateThrives in humid subtropical and warm temperate regions; tolerates light frost in a sheltered position
Additional Features
- FormSpreading clump of overlapping shields with cascading forked fronds
- UsesIdeal for mounting on walls, posts and host trees, vertical greening, shaded courtyards and interior schemes
- SpacingMounted individually, 1 to 1.5 metres apart for a run along a wall
- Low MaintenanceFeed occasionally behind the shield; never remove the brown shield fronds, which are functional rather than dead
- Pest ResistanceGenerally resilient; scale can gather on the frond undersides
- VersatilityMounted on a board, grown in a basket or naturalised onto a host tree
The Elkhorn Fern plants a shaded wall where there is no soil to plant into.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 08 September 2026