What to mount on tree fern?

[Rothrock42]

I've got a couple pieces of treefern medium that I'm trying to decide what to mount on them.

One is a 5 x 6 inch slab and the other is a 2 inch pole abut 15 inches long.

I recently moved my orchids out of the house and into a greenhouse. This makes it much easier to water mounted orchids. So I'll be moving some plants that might do better out of their pots.

I also have several large pieces of oak bark which I can use for other plants. Mostly I'm looking to mount coelgyne or dendrobium. What have you grown on tree fern bar?

[Dimples]

I’d bet that most members of the board have little experience with tree fern mounts due to the scarcity and expense of the material. It “went out of fashion” because of price and over harvesting quite awhile ago. Maybe a few of the older members that have been keeping orchids most of their lives, but as a millennial I’ve never seen tree fern media/mounts in person. I’ve seen pictures, but that’s it.

[Rothrock42]

@Dimples — I know, right? That is why I’m so conflicted and unsure what to put on it. I don’t want to waste the opportunity.

[Roberta]

I prefer to use the tree fern (hapu'u) poles for orchids that have a climbing habit and are happy for a bit more moisture. Coelogyne might be a good choice. Or one of the "climbing" Maxillarias. Also, the "climbing" Vandaceous typs such as Papilionanthe. Trichoglottis atropurpurea is a candidate. These are orchids that tend to climb and have roots along the stem, so they don't tend to want to stay in a pot. For the slab, orchids that like to stay a bit damp... it might me a good mount for a Masdevallia or other Pleurothallid. Or maybe an Oncidium.

[Diane56Victor]

I have a Sarcochillus on treefern and the roots have found their way into the treefern.
The leaves on this Sarc look better than the other 3 I have in pots but there is a spike on 2 of the 3 in pots so who knows which they prefer.

[DeaC]

I've kept quite a few treefern mounts after taking off orchids that failed under my care. But a Eria globifera has wandered all over it and does great. I've also crumbled some and added to mixes for repotting.