Herself’s Houston Garden

I’m beginning to think half the ferns I own have the common name Asparagus Fern. Watch the Latin names when buying ‘Asparagus Ferns’.

Like many commonly called ferns this plant is not really a fern.

Imagine my surprise last week when I went to prune it and it bit me. It also has sharp, long, pointed thorns. And like many plants down here it is toxic.

It does get small white flowers in the spring, nothing spectacular.

Asparagus fern will grow in full sun to shade, preferring more sun than shade. Asparagus fern prefers moist soil but will tolerate dry soil.

It is known for spreading and becoming a problem. So keep an eye on it if you use it in your garden.

I had been cutting this fern back and keeping it bush-like. This winter it escaped and what a delight. It climbs the tree and puts out horizontal leaves. They are very lacy and delicate. It really gives a tropical feel to the garden. I’m going to let them do some more climbing and see how things go.

Several sources refer to it as a climber growing to 10′. I’ve yet to see climbing behavior from this plant but that may just be because I prune anything over 3′ tall. * I went to the Houston Zoo last week and they had a tropical bird house full of tropical plants and this fern was growing there and well over 10′ tall. So it will get large if you allow it.

Things to watch for on ferns:

Leaf scotch: appears during dry, windy weather.  Water frequently and deeply and provide what shade and shelter you can.

Scale: looks like small brown bumps on stems and underside of leaves.  I use orange oil.

Mealy bugs:  Looks like white fuzz on plants.  I just wash them off with a garden hose.

This is a plant that did not mind the cold last winter at all. Although it is called a fern it is actually part of the lily family. It produces small white flowers followed by red berries in the summer. The white flowers are often hidden, the birds will steal the berries and disperse the seeds. Ferns reproduce with spores not seeds as this plant does. The stems grow to up to two feet tall, mine has remained under a foot tall.Th

As they age the clumps get thicker and the individual stalks thicken up so the leaves are more densely packed.

It will grow in sun to part shade, this one is in part shade. This part of the yard is pretty wet but Foxtail Fern will handle with drier conditions.

Watch for thorns. Many of the asparagus family plants have hidden thorns.

They thrive on neglect.

These are native to South Africa.

Propagate by division, but only when the plant gets to be a good size, smaller divisions will not survive.

Things to watch for on ferns:

Leaf scotch: appears during dry, windy weather.  Water frequently and deeply and provide what shade and shelter you can.

Scale: looks like small brown bumps on stems and underside of leaves.  I use orange oil.

Mealy bugs:  Looks like white fuzz on plants.  I just wash them off with a garden hose.

Asparagus densiflorus, Plants of Africa