by Dick Happy, UUCS Garden Crew
We get lots of questions about the giant plant that hangs from the iconic oak outside the Lexow Wing. It is called a staghorn fern and, although it may be hard to believe, it is an epiphyte or air plant getting moisture from rain and water vapor and absorbing nutrients from debris that collects on supporting plants. It was donated from a church member’s yard several years ago, and it took four men and a large pickup truck to get it delivered to UUCS and hang it from the tree. We give it very little care although it seems to be delighted when we feed it ground up banana peel (it likes the potassium). We have two other smaller staghorn ferns hanging from oaks on other parts of the property.
We get lots of questions about the giant plant that hangs from the iconic oak outside the Lexow Wing. It is called a staghorn fern and, although it may be hard to believe, it is an epiphyte or air plant getting moisture from rain and water vapor and absorbing nutrients from debris that collects on supporting plants. It was donated from a church member’s yard several years ago, and it took four men and a large pickup truck to get it delivered to UUCS and hang it from the tree. We give it very little care although it seems to be delighted when we feed it ground up banana peel (it likes the potassium). We have two other smaller staghorn ferns hanging from oaks on other parts of the property.
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