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Asparagus ferns have airy and delicate foliage that looks like the leaves of asparagus but arches gracefully, like a fern – hence their name. If an asparagus fern is especially happy, it may produce small white flowers and berries, but it’s really grown for its foliage.
How do you identify an asparagus fern?
Asparagus fern produces long, upright or trailing, branching stems sparsely covered with sharp, stiff spines in the axils. The rounded stems, up to 6 feet long, are green to brown in color and have a shallow indentation along their length.
How big does an asparagus fern get?
Asparagus setaceus plumosus is also known as Lace Fern, Common Asparagus Fern or Climbing Asparagus. Although it is called a fern, it is really a member of the lily family. It is fast growing and easy to care for and can reach a height of 2.5m unless pruned.
What is the difference between asparagus and asparagus fern?
Part of the common name is accurate, however. Asparagus ferns are closely related to edible asparagus (Asparagus officinalis). While asparagus ferns don’t produce anything we can harvest and eat, they are versatile, reliable, easy to grow and useful in a variety of gardening situations.
What’s the difference between foxtail fern and asparagus fern?
Foxtail ferns have clumps of bushy plumes that resemble a fox’s tail. Beautiful arching plumes contain bundles of needle-like leaves, giving the light-green foliage a soft, delicate appearance. Outdoors, asparagus ferns are fast-growing ground cover plants best grown in morning sun with light shade in the afternoon.
What plants look like asparagus fern?
Horsetail. Horsetail is a weed that looks like Asparagus fern. The only closeness with asparagus is visible in stems that closely resemble the former.
Should you cut down asparagus ferns?
Don’t be too hasty cutting down the ferns Therefore, the key is to leave the ferns alone until they are totally brown. This change in color signals that they are done for the year and can be removed. If possible, it is best to remove the dormant, brown ferns in the late fall or early winter (mid-November to December).
How often should I water asparagus fern?
Water garden plants once or twice a week, so the soil doesn’t dry completely. Asparagus ferns are moderately drought tolerant, but they will grow at a slower rate without sufficient moisture, notes the University of Florida.
How do you make asparagus fern bushy?
Take a sharp pair of clean scissors and make a snip where you would like the stem to end. You can do this with all of the elongated stems given that they don’t make up over half the plant and then place your asparagus fern in a brighter spot and your plant should start to grow bushier rather than leggier.
Can you plant asparagus ferns in the ground?
Asparagus Fern Care. If you live in hardiness zones 9 or above, you can grow asparagus fern outdoors as a perennial. Outdoors, these plants will prefer a partial shade location in relatively dry, well-draining soil. In all other climates, it can be planted as an annual or kept indoors as a houseplant.
What do you do with asparagus ferns?
To keep your asparagus plants healthy, cut the ferny growth down only after it turns brown and dies back in the fall. Use a sharp knife and cut close to the ground. In cold climates, let it stand all winter and cut it down in the spring. The growth will help regulate soil temperatures.
Is asparagus fern poisonous to humans?
Symptoms: This plant is not considered toxic. Contact with the sap can cause skin irritation and dermatitis. The prickles may also cause mechanical injury. Warning: Seek medical attention if exposure results in symptoms.
Will asparagus fern freeze?
Asparagus ferns cannot withstand freezing temperatures, so anything below 32 degrees Fahrenheit can kill the plant.
Do all asparagus ferns have thorns?
Planting asparagus ferns Caution: Despite their soft, fluffy appearance, asparagus ferns actually have small thorns, so wear gloves when handling them. Re-pot in a larger planter if the pot becomes root-bound or you notice vigorous root growth lifting the soil out of the pot.
How do you prune asparagus ferns?
All asparagus fern types need hard pruning every three years to rejuvenate their growth. It is best done in spring before new growth emerges. Cut back the entire plant to within 2 to 3 inches of the soil using sharp, clean pruning shears and discard the fronds.
Are foxtail fern berries poisonous?
A member of the Liliaceae, or lily, family, all parts of the foxtail fern are poisonous for pets and humans, including the tiny white flowers and red berries.
What happens if you don’t cut asparagus?
Picking the pieces slowly stresses the plant, so when it’s left alone for the rest of the year, it’s able to regain strength and grow new roots. This in turn helps have more production in the coming years. Once the asparagus is left alone, it grows into a large shrub-like fern.
Do asparagus ferns come back every year?
The short answer to this question is: An Asparagus Fern is a perennial plant. There are some plants that are planted, grow, bloom and die all within a yearly cycle and to have the plant a second year it needs to be replanted in the spring.
When should I cut back my asparagus ferns?
The asparagus foliage can be cut back to the ground after it has been destroyed by cold temperatures in fall. However, it is generally recommended that the dead foliage be allowed to stand over winter. The dead debris will catch and hold snow. Snow cover helps protect the asparagus crowns from freeze damage.
