Staghorn fern relative.
By Stan510
- 2 Feb, 2018
- 3 likes
Platycerium superbum. I don't know if its bun is super..but its a big fern to grow on trees!
I've had since 2013..and its grown very much.
Comments on this photo
Thanks. It looks ultra tropical -but does well in our cool Med winter climate. The thing is- this does not pup. No matter how long you have it,to get another takes somebody to grow them from spores. I might try one day for the fun of it.
The brown spot is a remnant from a heat wave last summer and I let it go too dry at the same time. Whew- lucky I didnt lose it.
4 Feb, 2018
I grew one of our common native Dryopteris from spores once. It was very interesting if rather long winded! I ended up with a huge number of babies - far more than I could deal with.
Our native staghorn is so common round here that there's not much point in trying, except just for interest.
4 Feb, 2018
I've done a ton of horticulture in my lifetime- even paid to do it- but Stear,I haven't really done nearly as much free propagation..because,like you,One of something is usually all I needed.
THEN,it was hard to resist just buying the one plant I didn't have rather then growing it from seed.
But,I do grow from seeds and cuttings to dabble. Just not cranking things out. Hardly any pprofit either if your going to sell on ebay..the cost of pots soils,and time ...
Better as a hobby.
4 Feb, 2018
It looks like you've had it for a long time. It looks great!
14 Feb, 2018
Well I didn't need a ton of Drypoteris either (one would have been enough)- it was more of a challenge to see if I could do it than your actual propagation for more..
Now its confession time. I got a bit carried away there - the fern that I meant is common round here is the harts tongue, not the staghorn. Same animal, different body part...old age is an inconvenient condition as far as memory goes! Sometimes it makes you feel very silly....
14 Feb, 2018
Close enough Ster. Hey,Birds nest Fern or Harts Tongue fern? Almost the same.
Thanks Andy. Its easy care...except for critters that actually push that big fern around as you can see.
That Podocarpus tree its in ? I planted that as a wispy little thing in a TIN can in 1978. When they still sold plants in cans.
14 Feb, 2018
Wow! That Podocarpus gracilior is 40 years old! I know P. gracilior can grow into a very large tree.
Do you remember the really old P. gracilior that use to be in Fremont close to Niles? It was a gigantic tree (probably 80 ft tall) which was on the east side of Mission Blvd. It was cut down just before I moved to San Diego, I think. I think that tree could have been from the old California Nursery in that area.
20 Feb, 2018
https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/272298/
When I took this ,I thought it was biggest in town...but Mine are about equal in trunk girth- I prune the heck out of the canopy so I can have a garden.
20 Feb, 2018
I've seen many very large trees in the SF Bay Area. However, in San Diego P. gracilior grows even taller and larger. It's amazing how drought-tolerant it is here.
27 Feb, 2018
It was totally browned with some dead twigs..in 1990 and that 24f low. It was never close to death...but if 24f was all day or every morning for a week..that might do it in.
I can hardly grow anything in ground near it now. It sucks almost every drop of water and if you put a potted plant on the ground? It quickly sends tree root right into the pot.
So,its potted plants with saucers now.
It does block an ugly view..so I would never cut them down. I just trim to let in enough light for the rest of the yard..I also trim back to give the Howea and King Palms room.
27 Feb, 2018
Yes, it has a horribly large root system. This is why I've never heard of one ever blowing over in a storm.
I do remember seeing damage on P. gracilior in 1990. I only remember seeing tips of the trees burned, though. It was superficial damage, though. What was shocking to see was an 80 ft tall Canary Island Pine burned up in Walnut Creek.
28 Feb, 2018
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This photo is of species Platycerium superbum..
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It certainly is - and its a lot fancier than our native staghorn too.
3 Feb, 2018