Platycerium (Staghorn) Ferns As Epiphytes
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Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Willinckii
Platycerium Fern Willinckii Has A Very Distinctive Look That Is All Its Own . The Shield And Fertile Fronds Look And Grow Quite Differently Than Its Cousin Platycerium Fern Bifurcatum In Its Color And The Manner By Which The Species Grows . Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Willinckii Resembles Its Other Cousin , Platycerium Fern Veitchii .
Nature Has Given Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Willinckii A Natural Cultivating Habitat Of Java And The Sundae Islands And The Epiphytic Plant Species Cultivates Very Well Within This Mild And Semi Warm Climate . In Its Natural Growing Environment Platycerium Fern Willinckii Expands Its Shield Fronds Upwards Three Feet Or More And Allows Its Fertile Fronds To Hang Downwards Five Feet Or More , But Within Mans Cultivation The Shield And Fertile Fronds Have A Tendency Not To Reach This Height Or Length .
The Shield Fronds , Of This Species Grows Upwards And Are Completely Coated With Stellate Hairs , When Given Medium Filtered Sun Light . These Fronds Are Formed In Mid Spring And Will Last Until Mid Fall . When The Shield Fronds Die Back And If The Weather Conditions Are Right , With Time , Wind , Dryness And Cool Rains The Skin Which Covers The Veins Will Peel Away And Leave Only The Veins In View Just As With Platycerium Fern Veitchii . It May Take Some Time For This Course Of Nature To Occur , But Given Time It Will Happen .
The Fertile Fronds , Of Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Willinckii , Is Another Story . This Species And Platycerium Fern Coronarium Are The Only Species Of Platycerium Ferns That Have Fertile Fronds That Grow In This Twisted Manner , Except You Will Not Find Stellate Hairs On Platycerium Coronarium . The Fronds Become Quite Long , Twisted , Are Slender , Always Hang Downward And Will Be Completely Covered With Stellate Hairs On Its Upper And Lower Surface , With Long Narrow Fingers At Its Tips . This Species Can Sit Until Mid Spring Like Its In A Dormancy State And Then Begin Producing Fertile Fronds . Last Years Fertile Fronds Will Begin To (Die) And Cause You To Think That You Are Losing Your Platycerium Species If You Are Not Accustomed To Cultivating This Species . When The Species Is Producing New Fertile Fronds You Can Very Easily Lose The Species To Root Rot So During This Period It Is Unlike When The Species Is Producing Shield Fronds So Let The Species Completely Dry Back Before Watering .
Here At The Nursery We Cultivate Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Willinckii Outside And Within A Greenhouse . When Spring Arrives The Species Being Cultivated Within The Greenhouse Are Moved Outside So It Can Receive Fresh Air And Dry Back Quicker . This Species Requires Good Air Movement And Semi Cool Temperatures Which Are Between (40) And (70) Degrees . We Have Found This Temperature Range To Be The Best For This Species And Any Temperatures Lower Or Higher Causes Problems For The Species . Just Remember To Water The Species Well And Allow To Dry Back .
Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Willinckii Is A Very Slow Growing Platycerium Species And Produces Pups , After The Growing Roots Have Reached Its Host Plant , So It Will Take Some Time .
Madagascar Tropicals A Platycerium Fern Nursery
Altadena , California - Los Angeles County , USA (626)-791-3600
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