Staghorn Fern Tanduk Rusa Platycerium in Malaysia

The Staghorn Fern or Tanduk Rusa in Malay is found throughout Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and worldwide. These beautiful ferns are usually sold in nurseries throughout the country and, most of the time, are priced anywhere from RM20.00 to RM300.00, depending on the size and breed.

The Staghorn Fern is also cultivated and mass-produced for sale, so you need to be sure which type you are interested in. When you see them growing in plastic pots, those are the cultivated ones which cost around RM8 to RM15 a pot at your local nursery.

Staghorn Fern Tanduk Rusa Platycerium in Malaysia

I have had this fascination with these staghorn fern plants since the early ’90s, ever since I saw them growing in a friends garden. He had a common staghorn fern about three feet in length, and it was awe-inspiring. Since then, I have embarked on a mission to look for these unusual plants all over Malaysia, and to date, I have collected over 30 of them. Well, over the years, many have been sold, and now I only have about six of these staghorn ferns left.

In 2000, I made my own little staghorn nursery with a net cover to grow some of the rare species I obtained over the years. Some older plants have grown to over four feet in length, while others have multiplied.

So that you know, there are also 18 species of Platycerium staghorn ferns found worldwide and a lot more hybrids with funny names to them. To me, the fun was sourcing the original 18 species, and when people started to cross-breed them into hybrids, it became not so fun anymore.

Cleverly grown Tanduk Rusa Ferns.

Apart from the common type of staghorn fern, there is also the rare Tanduk Kijang Staghorn Fern that I was growing about 8 of them at one time. I managed to obtain some large, medium and baby ones.

Since 2010, I have stopped gardening actively as work has taken over, leaving me little time to attend to my staghorn ferns. Right now, I have left them in the care of my brother, where they are all growing well in our private nursery.

If you are a staghorn fern lover, follow my flora and plants blog to find more information. You can also follow me on my Malaysia Plants Twitter account. I will share more information on these unique plants emphasising the Staghorn Fern Tanduk Rusa Platycerium in Malaysia.