Platycerium angolense

elephant ear fern

Elephant ear ferns are epiphytes, using trees for support but not for nourishment in a parasitic way. Nutrients may be obtained in an indirect way, however, from the tree’s leaves, either in the form of falling leaves or nutrients absorbed from the leaves by falling rainwater. The upper fronds of the elephant ear fern trap leaves, dead insects, and rainwater from above, eventually forming pockets of soil from which hidden roots obtain necessary nutrients. The namesake lower fronds serve a different purpose for the plant: they produce spore mats on their undersides, which produce (you guessed it) spores. The plant reproduces by spores rather than flowers and fruits, and when the lighter-than-air spores are ready, they are released to hopefully fly to a habitable bark crevice to germinate into a new plant.

If you gently feel the surfaces of both the upper and lower fronds, you will be able to perceive a fine fuzziness. This dense covering of microscopic hairs serves as a barrier to insects that would like to get right to the succulent fronds as well as a way for the plant to conserve moisture by decreasing the rate of transpiration. This plant enjoys shady environments and regular watering if rainfall is not sufficient to supply it with consistent moisture. We initially hang these plants on our trees with thin rope or a basket of some sort to give them support until they eventually grab hold of the trunk on their own.