A flower like deer antlers is called. Platicerium, or "deer antlers" - decorative flowers with magical powers. fern care

Fern "Deer Antlers" is found in the Asian and Australian rainforests, on the islands of the Indian Ocean. Both in the wild and on the home windowsill, the platicerium can grow to very large sizes. The main thing is proper care.

Kinds

double forked

The spore-bearing leaves of this species reach a length of about 50-70 cm. They have a bluish tint and are assembled into rosettes. In young plants, the leaves are covered with thick white fluff. At the base, they are wedge-shaped, the upper part expands, branches into several tongue-shaped lobes hanging down.

Sterile leaves are round and most often whole, less often with cutouts along the edges, they are pressed to the ground. Plants turn brown and dry as they mature.

Hilla

This species is similar to the bifurcate, but it is distinguished by many compact, straight leaves with a shallow dissection. Some segments look shorter and more pointed.

Photo subspecies Platicerium Hill:

Big

Its sterile leaves are pale green and do not dry out for a long time. They are raised, deeply dissected and fan-shaped. Their width can reach 1.4 meters. The spore-bearing leaves are also evenly dissected from the middle, and the belt-like lobes hang down.

Angolan

The spore-bearing leaves of this species expand upwards, but do not have a dissection. Their lower part is triangular-wedge-shaped, covered with orange-colored fluff. The upper part of the sterile leaves is bent back.

Photo subspecies Angolan:

moose-horned

Its spore-bearing leaves, reaching 30 cm in length, do not hang down, but stand upright. They sag only from lack of light. Also, this type of plant requires more water than his "brothers".

Gymnosperms, and with them ferns, dominated the Earth 200 million years ago. But even now this type of plant is quite popular. Read our articles on the most common ferns that are found in homes and on household plots: , And .

Home care

Features of care after purchase

Since in nature the platicerium grows on trees, at home it is grown on pieces of bark. To do this, the roots of the plant must be wrapped in a damp mixture of sphagnum moss and some coarse-grained peat, and then tied to the bark or any other suitable decorative support.

Ferns are also placed in hanging pots. If there is no support in the form of bark, rot from deciduous trees should be added to the soil. A quarter of the tank should be occupied by the drainage layer at the very bottom.

Lighting

Platicerium loves light, but it is still better to protect it from the direct rays of the spring and summer sun. Choose a moderately shaded spot for the fern, such as a west window. In winter, it can be moved to the south, but be sure to protect it from direct sun.

Temperature

Deer Antlers love warmth. In summer, the plant is comfortable at 18-25 degrees Celsius, in winter it is permissible to lower the temperature to at least 15 degrees. Platicerium does not like drafts very much, take care of the fern from them.

Air humidity

platicerium prefers high humidity. However, it is absolutely impossible to wipe the leaves - there is a risk of damaging the tiny velvety hairs on the surface that trap moisture from the air.

Therefore, it is enough to periodically spray the “horns” from the smallest sprayer so that water does not remain droplets on the leaves.

If the room has an open aquarium or other source of humidity, it will be useful to place the Antlers closer to it.

Watering

Pour water into the cracks between the ground and sterile leaves. In winter, when the platicerium has a dormant period, watering should be reduced.

Fertilizers (top dressing)

Feed "Deer antlers" with a complex fertilizer designed specifically for decorative and deciduous plants. A serving for platicerium should be taken half as much as recommended in the instructions.

Fertilize the plant from April to September once every two weeks. 2-3 times per summer time you can water the fern with a nutrient solution of mineral and organic feeding.

Transfer

Usually, adult platiceriums are not transplanted. Young plants, if necessary, can be wrapped in new moss in spring and placed in a larger container.

At the same time, remember that dead anchor leaves can not be torn off.

The soil

The substrate for "Deer horns" can be of different composition. The soil may contain bark, sphagnum, and other fern roots. Another option: coarse-grained peat mixed with moss, leafy soil and unripened leaves.

Of the ready-made soil mixtures sold in stores for branched ferns, soil for orchids is best suited.

reproduction

disputes

When the plant reaches the age of 7-9 years, spores form on its leaves. When they are ripe, they are shaken off on a piece of paper and sown in March.

Sowing is done in wet sphagnum, but before that, in order to sterilize the soil, it is necessary to douse it with boiling water and let it cool.

The seeded container should be covered with glass and left in a warm, shady place for several days.

The soil should be regularly sprayed with water. Young, strengthened plants can be settled in separate pots and accustomed to regular watering and lighting.

By dividing the bush

In the case of a transplant, a young fern can be carefully divided and seated in different containers.

shoots

From an adult plant, the emerging shoots are carefully separated and planted in separate pots filled with pebbles and wet moss about half.

The soil should be watered abundantly and covered with a film for a few days. As soon as the sprouts take root and get stronger, you can transfer them to the "adult mode".

Diseases and pests

Among the harmful insects that are dangerous for the platicerium are scale insects (appear due to dry heat), thrips and spider mites. You can get rid of them by spraying (but not wiping) the leaves of the "deer antlers" with a solution of insect repellent.

Beneficial features

"Deer antlers" destroy a certain part of gaseous hydrocarbons and purify the air in the room. Also platicerium prevents the development of pathogens.

Conclusion

Platicerium is a favorite of flower growers who prefer unusual plants. It will add a touch of exotic to any interior and become its eye-catching decoration.

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Ferns - a very special department higher plants. Spores are formed in most of them on the underside of the leaves in special bags - sporangia. Once in the soil, the spores germinate into tiny green plates. They look like pieces of green paper with a diameter of 5-6 mm, moistened with water. These are outgrowths, or gametophytes, on which male and female genital organs are formed. After fertilization, a large and beautiful fern (sporophyte) grows. This confusion is called the alternation of generations - asexual (sporophyte) and sexual (gametophyte).

Platycerium (Platycerium). © ProBuild Garden Center

Anyone who has managed to see this fern will never forget it. The platicerium looks like the head of a deer or an elk with huge antlers! Its carved leaves are covered with a silvery fluff, which in no case should be peeled off; it helps to feed the plant and absorb moisture from the soil.

Content:

Description of the platicerium

Platicerium (Deer Horn, Flathorn) - lat. Platycerium. The name of the genus comes from the Greek words platus - flat and keras - horn and is due to the fact that the leaves are shaped like deer antlers.

The genus includes 15 species of herbaceous perennials, common in the tropics of Asia, Australia, the islands of the Indian Ocean, the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, Africa and the island of Madagascar.

Platycerium is an epiphytic fern; in tropical countries, antler grows on trees. In Australia, platiceriums sometimes reach such a size that giant trunks fall under their weight! In the room, it is usually bred on pieces of bark or in hanging baskets, this fern grows slowly and does not threaten to bring down the decorative support from which they are hung.

Its appearance is very different from other ferns. Its leaves (vai) are of two types - sterile and spore-bearing. Sterile fronds are rounded, wide-spread, tightly pressed by the lower and lateral edges to the substrate, the upper part of the leaf moves away from the support, forming a funnel. The biological purpose of these leaves, in addition to photosynthesis, is to capture leaf litter and other organic substances. The newly formed sterile fronds hide the old ones under them, which decompose over time, thus increasing the trap for organic substances and the growth of the plant itself.

Platycerium (Platycerium). © D. Gordon E. Robertson

Growing platicerium

The spore-bearing fronds have a completely different form. Erect or hanging down, they resemble the shape of deer antlers (hence the name "deer horn"). Numerous sporangia are formed at the ends of the leaves on the underside.

For the maintenance of platicerium, as well as for the maintenance of other ferns, western or eastern windows are best suited, i.e. when the sun shines through the window in the morning or in the evening and it is not the hottest. Ferns need protection from direct sun rays. At the same time, ferns love good diffused lighting. Ferns do not tolerate drafts, cold harsh air, but at the same time they need regular airing of the room. Poor ferns tolerate smoke and dust.

For the successful growth and well-being of platiceriam in the spring and summer optimum temperature about 20 ° C, at temperatures above 24 ° C there should be high humidity, since the plant does not tolerate high temperatures very well.

In autumn-winter, the optimum temperature is within 15-17 °C. Excessively warm air harms the plant, so it is advisable not to place it near central heating radiators.

Since the homeland of most species of ferns is tropical forests, they do not tolerate dry air. Ferns should be regularly sprayed at least 2 times a day, and on hot summer days from 3 to 5 times a day. In warm rooms, ferns should be sprayed with warm water.

Platycerium is grown mainly in a special mixture for ferns, consisting of pine bark and sphagnum moss. It is possible on pieces of bark and stumps.

Ferns are transplanted in the spring after the first growth appears. When transplanting, it is necessary to save an earthen room. The roots are not cut, but only old and dead roots are removed. When transplanting, ferns straighten their roots, and planting is done so that the root neck is above the ground.

All ferns need fertilizing in spring and summer with organic and mineral fertilizers. You can not use top dressing, consisting only of mineral salts. Do not feed in autumn and winter - top dressing during this period can lead to serious plant disease.

Platycerium bifurcatum (Platycerium bifurcatum). © alexlomas

Possible difficulties in growing platicerium

The leaves turn yellow, they appear brown spots. Cause in too high temperature indoors above 25°C. As the temperature rises, the humidity also needs to be increased. The reason can also be irregular or insufficient watering.

The leaves turn yellow, the plant grows poorly - the humidity in the room is too low, the proximity of the heating system.

The leaves are faded, translucent, lethargic - too intense sunlight.

The leaves are pale or dull, the ends turn yellow or brown, the plant does not grow or grows poorly. The reason may be a lack of nutrition, too crowded or too large a pot.

Leaves may turn yellow, brown, curl and fall off, young leaves wither and die at too low a temperature in the room, from exposure to a cold draft, watering cold water, when watering with hard or chlorinated water.

Never remove dead sterile leaves.

Damaged: spider mites, scale insects, thrips.

Notes: Do not remove brown arched leaves as they form humus.

Platycerium (Platycerium). © Tagesfleiss

Types of platicerium

The most widespread in indoor floriculture are species

Platycerium alcicorne - Platycerium alcicorne

Sterile leaves are rounded, 12-20 cm in diameter, convex, lobed along the edges. Fertile leaves 50-70 cm long, wedge-shaped narrowed at the base, fan-shaped widened in the upper part and forked into lobes, 3-4 cm wide, thick, bluish-green. The shares are hanging down. The sporangia are yellow-brown throughout the lobes.

Platycerium angolense - Platycerium angolense

Sterile leaves are entire, bent back with the upper part. Fertile leaves in the lower part are triangular-wedge-shaped, in the upper part expanding up to 40 cm wide, not dissected into lobes, hacked along the entire upper edge and dull orange-pubescent. Sporangia are arranged transversely across the entire width of the leaf.

Large platycerium - Platycerium grande

The homeland of the plant is Tropical Asia, tropical Australia, the Philippine Islands. Sterile fronds are wide, 45-60 cm wide, deeply forked ( long time non-drying); fertile 1.3-2 m long, wedge-shaped, hanging down, evenly, approximately from the middle of the leaf, forked into belt-like lobes. Highly decorative look. Cultivated in a warm greenhouse and warm rooms.

Platycerium bifurcatum (Platycerium bifurcatum). © *Spatz*

Platycerium bifurcatum - Platycerium bifurcatum

The most common species in room culture. The plant is native to Tropical Australia. Sterile fronds are rounded, 12-20 cm in diameter, convex, lobed along the edges; spore-bearing 50-70 cm long, wedge-shaped narrowed at the base, fan-shaped widened in the upper part and forkedly dissected into lobes (3-4 cm wide), thick, bluish-green; hanging shares. The sporangia are yellow-brown throughout the upper part of the lobes. Highly decorative look. Cultivated in semi-warm greenhouses, florariums, terrariums and rooms.

Platycerium Hillii - Platycerium Hillii

It is similar to the previous species, from which it differs in numerous compact, shallow, straight leaves. Individual segments are shorter and more pointed. The sporangia are collected in oval and rounded masses located near the base of the terminal segments.

Deer horns (Kalanchoe laciniata)- because of the unusual shape of the leaves, the plant is called deer horns. The plant is classified as indoor, rather unpretentious. Native to Africa, subtropics and tropics of Asian countries.

A perennial herbaceous representative with a juicy fleshy shoot at first erect, then decumbent, from below the plant becomes bare with age. The leaf is fleshy, deeply dissected, serrated along the edges, light green, has a waxy coating. The flower is tubular, yellow-orange.

Flowering at Deer horns is plentiful. The soil for the plant is selected sod-sandy. In autumn and winter, it is watered to a limited extent, after the earth has completely dried out. Thanks to the shoots drooping over time, it can be grown as an ampelous type of plant.

At various kinds leaves are different. Often thick, strongly or slightly dissected, may be sessile, or may have petioles. Red, white or purple flower collected in umbellate inflorescence.

Deer horns - care:

Lighting:

Like most plants, Deer Antlers like bright, adequate lighting. In summer, daylight hours are provided up to 12 hours, starting from the end of summer, lighting is provided no more than 9 hours. In winter, the flower is placed on the southern windowsill. In summer, Deer Horns are shaded, because. burning sunlight can leave burns on the leaves of the plant, and also leads to their redness.

Temperature:

Deer horns are an unpretentious plant. Contain at room temperature. In summer the temperature is up to 27°С, in winter the recommended temperature is no more than 15°С. Sheets can deteriorate from cold air, and at elevated temperatures in autumn and winter period the flower bud is not laid.

Watering:

When watering Deer horns, soft, settled water is used. Watering is carried out as the dryness of the upper part of the soil, in no case should the earthen clod be completely dry. In winter, water every four days after the substrate has dried. Excess water from the pan is drained.

Humidity:

Deer horns can easily tolerate dry air in an apartment. In summer, it will be useful to spray the plant with a spray bottle.

Top dressing:

At the time of growth, every half a month it is fertilized with fertilizers for the cactus. Blooming deer horns in winter are fed with fertilizer for flower plant in half doses.

Transfer:

Deer horns are transplanted in the spring, at the end of flowering, depending on the volume of the root. In some situations, they are transplanted every year, while choosing a larger pot. A small plant is transplanted less often. Expanded clay or finely broken brick is poured at the bottom of the pot, which helps to drain excess water. Young Deer Horns are planted in a substrate of soddy soil, foliage, sand and peat.

Reproduction:

It is easy to propagate deer horns with a top shoot that has reached a length of ten centimeters, which is taken in spring from a branch of current growth. Rooted in peat with sand under plastic wrap, periodically ventilated. The rooted cutting is transplanted into a separate pot and placed in a place with brightly diffused light.

It is possible to propagate Deer Antlers with seeds that are very small. Seeds are sown at the end of winter in a mixture of hardwood and sand, without sprinkling the seeds. Planted seeds will germinate in two weeks. Seedlings are dived and exposed to the light. The second pick is held before the start of summer.

Some features:

Because of unusual look, many put a plant in the outback of the room to decorate the interior. This can be done, however, in such conditions, watering is reduced to a minimum. And you can’t keep Deer Horns in partial shade for more than a month, otherwise the plant will wither.

Deer horns - diseases and pests:

With excess heat and moisture, it is affected by powdery mildew. In an excessively humid or cool room, deer horns are affected by gray mold. The spider mite also affects the plant.

Deer antler flowers are a rather exotic evergreen plant from the genus of ferns. It is distinguished by a bizarre shape of the leaves, for which it got its name. A tropical handsome man will become a stylish decoration of the room, especially if you grow it as an ampelous one.

general description

The plant produces leaves (fronds) of two types:

Sterile. They grow as basal, whole in shape. They perform several functions at the same time: support, collection nutrients. Pieces of moss, plant residues, which rot and become a nutrient substrate, linger in them. Over time, they become thinner and change color, but remain healthy.
Fertile or spore-bearing. They are the main decoration of the deer horns flower. Spreading, lush green with pubescence, in some species they grow up to 1.5 m. As they grow, the fronds are divided into reed lobes 2-3 times, which makes them similar to the branched horns of male deer. After the formation of spores, "spots" of the characteristic Brown. This is not a disease, but a place where spores accumulate, which can be used for reproduction at home.

Vayi when growing at home can be somewhat shorter than those growing in the natural environment. In the process of life, they emit phytoncides, that is, they benefit their owners. Another useful property– the ability to absorb hydrocarbons from polluted air. Although some refuse to keep the platicerium in the house due to " bad omen”(will push her husband to cheat), in fact, there is no evidence of this. Most likely, superstition appeared due to the external resemblance to horns, which became a colloquial designation for adultery.

Species for home growing

In total, 18 species of the deer antler flower are known. Not everyone is suitable as a houseplant. For home maintenance, the following are recommended:

Two-forked or elk-horned. It grows well - up to 75 cm in width and length. Young foliage of a silvery shade (due to pubescence).
Hill. It is a more miniature copy of the previous species. Its fertile leaves really do resemble deer (and not elk) antlers.
Angolan. It differs in the shape of wai, which resemble large (up to 40 cm) triangles with wavy edges, which hang down with their bases.
Big. Outwardly, it resembles a cabbage head, from which spreading vai-horns grow (up to 1.5 m, grow upwards). In this species, sterile leaves are highly developed, it is they that provide such an exotic look.

The main difference between the types of flower deer horns is in the shape and size of the foliage. These ferns do not bloom, which can be an important argument for people prone to allergic reactions to pollen.

Home keeping conditions

As a houseplant, deer horns look very impressive. But for its maintenance, a number of conditions are necessary that recreate the atmosphere of tropical forests, the natural habitat:

Temperature. In summer, the comfort temperature is within + 23 - 25 0 (maximum +30 0), in winter - within +17 - 18 0, it is rarely able to endure a long drop to +12 0.
Humidity. Platiceriums do not tolerate dry air, humidity should be from 60 to 80%.
Lighting. Direct sunlight is destructive, needs partial shade and a long daylight hours. In summer, it should be at least 12 hours; in winter, 9 hours is enough.
Airing. It is allowed, but without drafts, their fern does not tolerate at all.
The soil. When growing in pots, you can use a mixture of leaf and peat soil with the addition of sand, sphagnum moss, pieces of pine bark and humus in equal proportions. You can use ready-made soil mixture for ferns. The soil should be slightly acidic, the pot should be shallow, flat, with good drainage from fine gravel.

Tip: as indoor flower deer horns are best grown as an ampelous plant. And not in pots, but on a piece of wood that is suitable in size. To ensure a sufficient level of humidity, you can hang it above the aquarium. This is an effective and rational design solution.

Features of care

Platicerium is an unpretentious flower, it is enough to follow a few rules:

Regular watering, every other day in summer and once every 10 days in winter. Boiled or well-settled soft water is used for irrigation, which is carefully topped up as soon as it dries up. upper layer soil. Platicerium does not tolerate excess moisture, so it needs to be watered regularly and sparingly. In summer, it is necessary to spray with soft water from a fine spray bottle.
Pruning is not needed, even dying foliage is not separated, but left.
Transplantation is very rare (every 4 years) and only young plant. It is carefully dug up and transferred to a new pot with drainage and soil.
Top dressing only in the summer, 1 time per month is enough. You can use fertilizer for ferns or orchids. It is better to reduce the recommended dosage by 2 times.

Important nuances. Watering can be replaced by bathing: the pot is placed in water for several minutes. With ampelous placement - abundant spraying of the inner pockets. Pieces of banana peel are periodically used as top dressing, which is laid under sterile fronds. It is impossible to wipe the foliage, this procedure will damage the pubescence, the plant will stop producing phytoncides, and in case of large-scale damage, it will die.

Deer antler plant in wildlife

Growing on wood

When grown on wood for roots, a substrate is made of sphagnum moss, pieces of bark and rotted foliage 1.5–2 cm thick. This mixture is placed in a small depression made in a piece of wood. The roots are slightly buried in it and fixed with a fishing line. You can use synthetic narrow tapes or wire, only with insulation (regular copper will not work). It is tied below the sterile leaves so as to support and at the same time allow the lower fronds to form a pocket. After that, a piece of wood is nailed to the wall or hung in some other way. With abundant growth, additional support for wai may be required.

reproduction

Antlers can be propagated by spores or vegetatively.

Reproduction by spores

For reproduction in this way, it is enough to collect spores from fertile leaves, dry them, and then place them on the surface of a container with nutrient soil. A standard soil mixture for this fern, previously disinfected with boiling water and cooled, is suitable. The container is covered with a film or glass, the soil is periodically moistened. Within 2 months before the appearance of the first leaves, spores need to be high level humidity and adequate lighting. Then the sprouts dive. If it is planned to grow on wood, then the plant is attached to it according to the scheme described above. For better rooting, wrap the roots with a layer of moistened sphagnum.

Vegetative reproduction

For vegetative propagation, 2 methods are used:

Offspring. The emerging young shoots with a developed root system are carefully separated from mother plant and transplanted into the ground. And immediately on permanent place. 3 weeks are enough for rooting, the appearance of new foliage is a sign that the flower has taken root.
The division of the bush. Abundantly overgrown bush can be divided. It is better to do this during transplantation, so as not to disturb the fern once again. When dividing, you must act carefully: the root system is rather weak. The bush is divided in such a way that both divisions retain sterile and fertile fronds; both types of leaves are necessary for normal life. Delenki are immediately transplanted into a pot or attached to wood.

Care errors, diseases, pests

The following problems may occur:

foliage turns yellow: a sign of fever or sunburn;
fronds become lethargic and pale: excessive lighting or lack of fertilizer;
dried up and turned brown: lack of moisture;
withered: its excess;
lack of growth: a sign of low humidity.

The platicerium practically does not get sick, only the death of the roots during stagnant water and excessive watering is dangerous. When pests appear (thrips, aphids, scale insects, spider mites), insecticides are used for spraying.

We are used to thinking of ferns as plants with openwork leaves resembling a green veil. But among the huge variety of ferns, there is one that does not correspond to this image at all. Its huge leaves are devoid of openwork grace, but no less attractive. They resemble the spreading antlers of a deer or even an elk! The name of this natural wonder is platicerium.

Platicerium: biological description

Platiceriums are a separate genus of ferns, in which there are 17 species. The extremely unusual external shape has led to the fact that these ferns are often called "deer horn", or "flathorn". Actually, the name itself can be translated from Latin as "wide horn".

It is difficult now to say exactly where the historical homeland of this genus is located. Many researchers call Australia in this capacity, although, apparently, its species have long since spread in the zone of tropical rainforests of Africa and the Hindustan Peninsula.

All platiceriums are typical epiphytes: they live on trees, firmly pressed against the trunk of the host with tenacious roots, and as if “embracing” it with wide, dense leaves. These leaves are sterile, they serve only as a support for the plant. In the upper part, sterile leaves form a characteristic funnel, where everything falls - from small twigs to dry foliage, insects and dead bark. All this mass gradually rots inside the funnel, forming a nutrient mixture for the platicerium.

Interesting! In nature, there were huge ferns, in which up to a centner of such a nutrient substrate accumulated inside the funnel!

Well, the legendary "horns" of platicerium are spore-bearing leaves that any fern on Earth has. But even here the antler flower stood out! Its spores do not form sori, as in other ferns, but are simply scattered over the underside of the leaf, coloring it slightly reddish.

All types of platiceriums live in tropical rainforest conditions, which must be taken into account when keeping at home. Each of the specimens can grow for years, sometimes reaching impressive sizes.

In indoor floriculture, only 4 types of these plants are used.

Platycerium bifurcatum (Platycerium bifurcatum).

It is this species that is most often found in the collections of flower growers. And if people often argue about whose horns the leaves of platicerium look like - deer or elk, then in the case of this species, the conclusion is unequivocal: elk. Its leaves are wide, rounded, divided into separate lobes along the edges. The upper part of the green leaves has a slightly bluish tint. The homeland of the species is the forests of Australia.

Angolan platycerium (Platycerium angolense).

It is often called flat-horned. The leaves are inferior in size to the previous species, moreover, they are rather triangular in shape, the edges of the leaves are not dissected, but only slightly jagged. One of the most moisture-loving species, it is not easy to keep it.

Large platycerium (Platycerium grande)

It is distinguished by large sterile leaves and elongated spore-bearing fronds, up to half dissected into strips resembling wide belts. These wai sometimes reach a meter length, and the "belts" hang down, giving the plant a high decorative effect.

Hill's Platycerium (Platycerium Hillii Moore)

It is very reminiscent of a reduced copy of a two-forked platicerium. Its leaves are less dissected along the edges, often the segments are slightly pointed. Spores are not scattered over the entire surface, but are grouped into small oval spots.

Conditions and care for outlandish ferns

Generally speaking, caring for the platicerium cannot be called simple. Although the plants look great, especially in a separate hanging planter, reminiscent of a successful hunter's trophy. But if a hunter has to kill an animal to get a trophy, then the platicerium will decorate the room with its “horns” without any violence against wildlife.