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Why Are Staghorn Ferns So Expensive? (6 Reasons Worth Knowing)

Staghorn Ferns are beautiful, exotic plants that add class and character to the home or office. Being an incredibly popular houseplant, they are also costly.

The most desirable staghorn ferns can cost hundreds of dollars, and many people wonder why they’re so expensive. They are quite possibly the most expensive plants on the market today, but what makes them so special? Why are Staghorn Ferns so expensive?

The simple answer is that they’re rare and delicate, especially when shipped across the country. But there’s more to it contributing to the price than just the rareness and delicacy of Staghorn Ferns.

In this article, we’ll explore staghorn ferns and the reasons they have such high prices to help you better understand this unique type of plant and its prices.

So, let’s get started.

Why Are Staghorn Ferns So Expensive
Staghorn Ferns via Wikimedia

Reasons That Answer Why Are Staghorn Ferns So Expensive

1)    Rare Plant

As an exotic plant, staghorn ferns are expensive. Looking out for the answer to why are Staghorn Ferns so expensive, the primary reason for their high price tag is because they are not naturally found in a cultivated environment.

They have to be grown in a greenhouse, and it takes time for them to develop into full-grown plants. In addition, the rarity of these ferns adds to their price tag. Because they aren’t mass-produced, there are fewer ferns on sale than more common houseplants, like Spider Plants or Aloe Veras.

If you want to own Staghorn Ferns, there are a few things you need to know. The first thing is that they’re only found in certain areas of North America, namely southern Canada and northern New England, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Indonesia. If you live elsewhere, it isn’t easy finding these ferns.

2)    Difficulty in Propagation

The climate and soil in the regions Staghorn ferns are found help them get their beautiful shape and elegant appearance. However, if you try growing them away from these regions, you will face issues while propagating the plant.

They take a long time to grow, and it takes a great deal of time for them to become established once they’ve been moved from their natural habitat into your home.

Many people choose to have professional landscapers or designers install these plants to avoid the difficulty of propagating and caring for them. Unfortunately, this increases the cost of growing these Staghorn Ferns.

The price does not go down much even when you have them grow at nurseries. This is because it is quite labour-intensive to tend every frond separately.

It can take around three years before you can prune each section on its own. Thus, there aren’t enough Staghorn ferns available. Hence the demand grows, increasing the prices of these ferns.

Staghorn Ferns are indeed expensive because they’re hard to grow and rare in nature, but in reality, there’s another reason why they’re so pricey.

When it comes to growing Staghorn Ferns inside, they are among the favourite houseplants. These beautiful plants can be grown just about anywhere in your home.

With their ease of care and ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions, Staghorn Ferns has become a popular interior plant.

Also, a big part of their price is that they don’t necessarily have a season. They look great year-round. If you ensure plenty of indirect light and humidity, they can thrive in your home year after year.

4)    Disease Resistant Properties

In addition to their simple beauty, Staghorn Ferns are also one of Earth’s most resilient plants. In some regions of their native habitat, they can survive even in deforested areas where other plants would not grow.

In addition, they are resistant to plant diseases, pests and drought conditions that kill many other varieties of ferns.

If your home has poor air quality or dry conditions, these ferns can thrive on little water or sunlight exposure, making them an ideal addition to your place.

In addition, their resistance to diseases makes them appealing for use in hospitals or nursing homes. This resistivity against diseases is also one strong reason why are Staghorn Ferns so expensive.

Why Are Staghorn Ferns So Expensive 2
Staghorn Fern via Wikimedia

5)    Ability to Purify Indoor Air

One reason why are Staghorn Ferns so expensive is that they’re natural air purifiers.

They remove Mold Spores, Pet Dander, and Dust Mites from indoors and some harmful chemicals like Benzene and Formaldehyde from new furniture and building materials. So these plants are great for improving your indoor air quality.

If you have pets, dust mites will inevitably end up in every place around your home where you spend most of the time in a day.

The more foliage of Staghorn Ferns around your home to filter these out of the air, the less these harmful dust particles can get near your skin. It makes the air inside your home safe to breathe.

6)    Medicinal Use in Recent Years

While staghorn fern has long been used as a garden plant, its recent use in Eastern medicine may help explain its skyrocketing cost.

Although there’s no scientific evidence that Staghorn Fern has any medicinal benefit, practitioners have begun to recommend treating things like high blood pressure and hair loss. In addition, it is supposed to contain tonic properties that have high medicinal value.

These plants are named from an old belief that they could cure a disease called Staggers, now known as Epilepsy. Staghorn Ferns were also used as a method of birth control in China.  

Cost of Staghorn Ferns

After knowing why are Staghorn ferns so expensive, let’s find out how much exactly these ferns cost. Below is a price range for Staghorn ferns available.

1)    Baby Staghorn Fern

These are young Staghorn ferns that need less maintenance cost. They are available in price between $10 to $300.  

2)    Large Staghorn Fern

These are large and matured Staghorn ferns that cost higher than the average house plant. Therefore, they cost you at least $100.

3)    Staghorn Ferns Above 25 Years

These are fully matured Staghorn ferns that are above 25 years of age. They range between $500 to $1000.

>> Related Post: How To Save A Dying Staghorn Fern By Following 15 Easy Care Tips


Conclusion

Staghorn Ferns are one of nature’s most beautiful creations. However, like many plants, they are not cheap to maintain, nor are they as easy to care for as one might think.

Because they require a medium with high humidity and consistent water flow, these ferns need to be kept in an environment that can provide these needs. They are also a rare and popular houseplant loved by many. All these things combinedly answer why are Staghorn ferns so expensive.

These ferns often cost more than many people would like to spend on a plant. Luckily there are ways around keeping them while cutting down on cost. With proper lighting and ventilation, it should be possible to keep the baby fronds of your Staghorn Ferns alive year-round.