Platycerium bifurcatum

Natural range and habitat of Platycerium bifurcatum

Platycerium bifurcatum is native to eastern Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledonia. It grows on tree trunks and branches in subtropical forest, where its rhizome and roots sit in shallow pockets of organic material above the ground.

Caring for Platycerium bifurcatum

• Light: Provide bright filtered light or partial shade. Use filtered light during the hottest part of the day.
• Temperature: Keep temperatures around 16–30 °C. Avoid prolonged temperatures below 10 °C. Keep the fern frost-free and protected from cold, wet conditions for long periods.
• Humidity: Aim for 50–60% humidity. Moderate to high humidity is suitable, with regular airflow around the shield fronds.
• Water: Soak the roots and mounting material thoroughly and let surplus water drain. Let the mounting material become almost dry before watering again.
• Mounting and potting mix: Grow it on bark or wood, in a basket, or in a coarse airy bark-based mix that drains quickly. Use loose mounting material to hold the rhizome securely.
• Feeding: Use a dilute balanced fertiliser about once a month while new fronds are forming.
• Remounting and repotting: Renew mounting material when it begins to break down or no longer drains or holds the fern securely. Move the fern to a larger support or container only when the colony, roots or overall plant size needs more room.
• Frond care: Keep mature brown shield fronds in place and leave the pale surface hairs on fertile fronds intact.
• Propagation: Rooted offsets can be separated from an established plant. The species can also be raised from spores.

Problems with Platycerium bifurcatum

• Black, soft tissue around the rhizome: prolonged saturation and stagnant air can lead to rot. Cut away all rotten material to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool, discard the rot, improve drainage and airflow, and keep water from collecting around the crown.
• Small raised brown bumps on otherwise green fronds: scale insects may attach to the frond surface. Isolate an active infestation, remove accessible insects carefully, and use a fern-safe product labelled for scale at the stated dose and repeat interval.
• Cottony insects around the shield fronds: mealybugs may hide in sheltered crevices. Check gently around the edges of the shield fronds and use a product labelled for mealybugs. Repeat as directed on the label.
• Dry bleached areas on fertile fronds: strong direct sun can scorch the foliage. Move the fern into filtered light. Fresh fertile fronds should emerge grey-green.

Platycerium bifurcatum is non-toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
• Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

Where does the name Platycerium bifurcatum come from?

Platycerium combines Greek words for “broad” and “horn”, referring to the spreading fertile fronds. Bifurcatum means “twice-forked” or “forked”, describing their repeated division.

Nicaise Auguste Desvaux established the genus Platycerium in 1827 in Mémoires de la Société Linnéenne de Paris, volume 6, page 213.

Antonio José Cavanilles first described it as Acrostichum bifurcatum in 1799 in Anales de Historia Natural, volume 1, page 105. Carl Frederik Albert Christensen later placed it in Platycerium as Platycerium bifurcatum in 1906 in Index Filicum, page 496.