Platycerium superbum Plants GrowTropicals
Platycerium superbum — 12cm
Giant Staghorn Fern

Platycerium superbum

£29.99
Humidity-loverPet-safe
Pot size
12cm £29.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

Complete the set up
Fern Premium Potting Mix
The perfect soil Fern Premium Potting Mix · 2.5L · £4.99
Description

The staghorn fern that earns its name. Platycerium superbum, the Giant Staghorn Fern, is the largest and most dramatic species in its genus, producing enormous, forked fertile fronds that hang downward like a pair of antlers, and large, shield-shaped basal fronds that clasp whatever surface the plant is mounted on. It is an epiphyte, meaning it grows on other plants rather than in soil, and it looks its best mounted on a board or grown in a hanging basket rather than a traditional pot.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

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How to care for Giant Staghorn Fern

Keep me in bright, gentle light away from harsh sun and water me once my top few centimetres feel dry.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Giant Staghorn Fern

Platycerium superbum is a houseplant that takes a little effort. It needs bright indirect light, watering once the top 2 to 3cm of compost has dried out, high humidity and a minimum temperature of 13°C. It is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Good for

Kitchen Bathroom

Care level

EasyChallenge

A little effort

Light

ShadeFull sun

Bright, indirect light

This plant grows best in bright, indirect light or dappled shade. Keep it away from direct sun, which can scorch its delicate leaves. For healthy growth and vibrant foliage, place it near a north-facing or east-facing window where it will receive plenty of filtered light. Read moreShow less

This plant grows best in bright, indirect light or dappled shade. Keep it away from direct sun, which can scorch its delicate leaves. For healthy growth and vibrant foliage, place it near a north-facing or east-facing window where it will receive plenty of filtered light.

Learn more →

Watering

Evenly moistDries out fully

Let the top few centimetres dry out

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water your plant when the top layer of soil feels slightly dry, and always ensure the pot has good drainage. Avoid soggy soil or standing water, and do not let the plant dry out completely, as steady moisture is essential for healthy growth. Read moreShow less

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water your plant when the top layer of soil feels slightly dry, and always ensure the pot has good drainage. Avoid soggy soil or standing water, and do not let the plant dry out completely, as steady moisture is essential for healthy growth.

Humidity

Average homeHigh humidity

Needs high humidity

This plant thrives in high humidity and benefits from a consistently humid environment. Good humidity levels help support healthy growth and keep the foliage healthy. To increase humidity, use a humidifier or place the plant in a naturally humid room like a bathroom or kitchen. Plant cabinets, grow tents, and terrariums can also help create stable humidity for tropical houseplants, especially in drier homes. When using enclosed growing spaces, ensure there is adequate airflow to prevent excess moisture build-up. Adding sphagnum moss around the stem can also help hold moisture and improve growing conditions. Read moreShow less

This plant thrives in high humidity and benefits from a consistently humid environment. Good humidity levels help support healthy growth and keep the foliage healthy. To increase humidity, use a humidifier or place the plant in a naturally humid room like a bathroom or kitchen. Plant cabinets, grow tents, and terrariums can also help create stable humidity for tropical houseplants, especially in drier homes. When using enclosed growing spaces, ensure there is adequate airflow to prevent excess moisture build-up. Adding sphagnum moss around the stem can also help hold moisture and improve growing conditions.

Learn more →

Temperature

Keep above 13°C · Happy at normal room temperature

This plant grows best in warm temperatures between 18°C and 26°C. Keep it away from cold draughts and avoid temperatures below 15°C, as cooler conditions can stress the plant and affect healthy growth. Read moreShow less

This plant grows best in warm temperatures between 18°C and 26°C. Keep it away from cold draughts and avoid temperatures below 15°C, as cooler conditions can stress the plant and affect healthy growth.

Feeding

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser from spring to autumn, and let it rest over winter.

Soil & Substrate

This species does not grow in conventional potting mix. Mount it on a board with sphagnum moss, or grow it in a hanging basket lined with moss and filled with a mix of orchid bark and sphagnum. Water by soaking the root ball or misting the moss thoroughly, and allow it to dry slightly between waterings. Bright, indirect light is ideal.

Growth habit

Upright →Rosette →

Plant type

Fern →

Toxicity

Listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Plants still are not food, so a determined chewer may get an upset stomach.

Origins

Native to the rainforests of eastern Australia, Platycerium superbum grows high in the forest canopy as an epiphyte, anchored to tree trunks and branches. The basal shield fronds collect falling organic debris which breaks down to nourish the plant.

Also known as

Platycerium superbum

Genus

Platycerium →
More on caring for houseplants What does bright indirect light mean? Should I mist my houseplants?
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Meet the family

Everything about Platycerium

Staghorn ferns are easier than their architectural shape suggests. This guide covers mounting, watering, light, feeding, and the Platycerium cultivars worth growing indoors.

More about Platycerium care
Platycerium Care Guide
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

Verified reviews

Rated by real customers

Customers praised this staghorn fern for arriving "very healthy and undamaged" with "excellent packaging." Shoppers noted impressive growth potential and easy care. Most found plants "much bigger than expected" with amazing quality. One customer reported receiving a sickly plant that didn't match the photo.

  • Much bigger than expected & quality is amazing
  • Arrived in perfect condition and quickly adapted to its new home
  • Really healthy. Can't wait for it to grow
  • 5 stars: 12 (92%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 1 (8%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
O
Olga
Fabulously Strange

This little stag arrived in a perfect condition and quickly adapted to its new home. It proved to be really easy to look after and grew so much more than expected. Now it's a showstopper in its own right!

Olga review photo Olga review photo
P
Paul C.
Wow is all I can

Wow is all I can say, when my Platycerium superbum arrived I couldn’t believe the size of it as it was much bigger than expected & quality is amazing .

Paul C. review photo
S
S A Garrett

My plants were well packaged. Both arrived without damage and are really nice sizes. Super pleased

M
Maureen

Excellent young pup, very healthy and undamaged, packaging was excellent. This is the 3rd staghorn that i have bought and also 2 begonia rex's, always delighted with the quality.

M
Maureen

Excellent young pup, very healthy and undamaged, packaging was excellent. This is the 3rd staghorn that i have bought and also 2 begonia rex's, always delighted with the quality.

J
John M.
It's never too late to be amazed.

Just recently I discovered these wonderful people and their quality plants. I am ashamed of myself for not discovering them before. I have now rectified the error with some healthy, vigorous and stunning plants.
If you are reading this its probably because you are prevaricating, well you can stop that now, and order something! I'm confident, from my experiences you will not be disappointed. :u1F973:

I
Ian A.
Got a normal stag horn

Got a normal stag horn fern that I recently attached to a lump of driftwood to hang on a wall. So when I saw these i had to grab me one. Great plant arrived in great condition.

P
Piotr W.
Very unusual. Hopefully I’m not

Very unusual. Hopefully I’m not gonna kill it :-)

D
Dawn S.
Love this baby! Really healthy.

Love this baby! Really healthy. Can't wait for it to grow.

A
Andrew M.
The only resemblance to the

The only resemblance to the photo is the size of the plant, what you see in the photo is a very healthy looking plant with 3 developing large leaves, what I received is a sickly looking plant with a foliage more resembling a standard stagshorn fern fond, not what I signed up for

M
Mark

Very healthy and well packaged was also delivered quickly.

M
Mark

Very healthy and well packaged was also delivered quickly.

A
ANNA K.
Thank you, Beautiful plant, very

Thank you, Beautiful plant, very well packed, arrived in very good condition. The soil was too wet for the journey but it didn't affect the quality

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