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Species library › Platycerium › Platycerium veitchii
Ferns Partly documented

Platycerium veitchii

Silver elkhorn fern

The silver elkhorn is a Queensland staghorn fern that mostly grows on rocks, not trees: on sandstone, basalt and granite outcrops, cliffs and boulders in open forest, gorges and vine thickets. Its upright fronds are covered in silvery hairs, and it has been reported to use CAM, a water-saving form of photosynthesis. It is one of the most drought- and light-tolerant staghorns. Give it bright light, a real dry-down between waterings and a drier, cooler winter.

At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Mostly a lithophyte, forming clumps on rock faces, in crevices and among boulders. Herbarium labels describe sandstone outcrops in open forest (Blackdown Tableland), basalt boulders in vine thicket (Undara lava plains), granite boulders beside a creek on Magnetic Island, and sheltered, often south-facing rock faces in gorges.

Herbarium records with elevations run from about 175 m (Magnetic Island) to about 905 m (Blackdown Tableland), with several at 400–800 m.

Queensland

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.