an easy way to wall mount staghorn fern

Lea
Nov 6
3 min read

this is my years-old stagghorn fern, you can see it is pretty large （compare it with the monstera leave beside) and a almost same size baby staghorn fern on the right side.

here are more details.

My Old Staghorn Fern Mount — Growing Strong After All These Years

This little beauty is a blast from the past. It’s one of several staghorn fern mounts I made a few years ago.I recently dug it out again because—surprise!—it has grown so much that the baby fern beside it is now almost as big as the mother. Guess it’s time for a little family separation.

That’s when I thought, hey, maybe it’s time to show you the old photos too.

🌿 Why I Love Staghorn Ferns

Honestly, staghorn ferns are some of the easiest plants I’ve ever grown.At least here in my area, a hot southern coastal city in south China, you can just hang them somewhere shady and humid, and they’ll happily mind their own business. Other than misting them occasionally, you basically don’t have to do a thing.

While many people carefully hand-shape their moss into perfect little spheres before mounting, I’m firmly on Team “Keep It Simple.”

⚙️ The Mounting Setup

The perforated board you see in the picture was something we designed years ago (sadly, it’s no longer sold).But you can easily find similar perforated boards online now.If you’re planning your own setup, here’s my tip: get a big one — large enough to mount several ferns together.No need to go one-board-per-fern unless you’re selling them by the piece.

And if you’re just doing this for fun at home, go big and bold — make yourself a giant “fern wall.”

🧩 What You’ll Need

Here’s the magic ingredient list:

Plastic filter balls – cheap and easy to find (they’re actually used for wastewater treatment). Buy a whole box; you’ll thank yourself later.
Zip ties – for securing everything neatly.
Staghorn fern – the star of the show.
Dried or live sphagnum moss – your base layer.

Optional lazy trick: buy pre-made moss balls with holes. They work perfectly if the size fits. (Never seen one? Scroll back to my older videos!)

🪡 How to Mount It

Cut a small opening at the top of the plastic ball.
Slip the fern inside.
Fill the rest with moss — no need to make it perfect; the half-sphere shape keeps it neat for you.
Place it on the perforated board.
Secure it with zip ties.Done! The whole process takes just a few minutes.

The photo here shows it right after I made it — leaves a bit floppy, looking shy and unsure of their new home.

🌱 What Happens After a Few Years?

You might wonder:Will it keep growing?Will new fronds and roots get blocked by the structure?

Short answer: no worries at all.

I can guarantee it, because I’ve got several that have thrived for years this way.I’ll even post a video soon so you can see for yourself — proof beats promises!

The leaves in these photos were still soft and droopy, but give it some time and it’ll perk right up.Come back in a week or two and check on its latest look — I have several to tidy up, but I’ll pick one to film for you.

✨ Moral of the story: sometimes the simplest methods really do last the longest. And in the world of ferns, patience (and a good zip tie) can work wonders.

the following was made years ago.

this is the planting video I took 2-3 years ago: