Asparagus, Asparagus Fern, Sprenger Asparagus 'Sprengeri'

I give this plant a huge negative. This plant is an extremely invasive, noxious weed. The combination of it being extremely invasive and ...Read Morehaving small sharp thorns make it a huge pain (literally) to remove. If you live in a northern part of the US that has cold freezing winters and you want to plant it in the ground then I guess you could because freezing temperatures kill it, but my advice would be to keep it in a pot just in case because you do not want it spreading. In warmer places like Southern California and Florida, do not plant this under ANY condition.

This plant makes a wonderful container plant on my patio. It is tough as nails and can take a lot of abuse. I winter it in my green hou...Read Morese, but ...BE WARNED...it does have thorns so be careful in handling a mature plant. It has delicate white blossoms that are followed by red berries. It does not appear to be toxic because my cats and dogs all have eaten it and all are still fine. I have not had a problem with it being invasive in zone 6b, but as I stated above ,I grow it as a potted plant, not planted in the ground.

It grows in southern Indiana in summer only, must be taken in for winter.

I love my asparagus fern! Mine lives in a pot outside on my porch all spring and summer long. It comes inside for the winter. I've had fr...Read Moreonds grow to be 5-6' long so I give it a hair cut every so often. It encourages new growth and makes it fill out beautifully. The little white flowers smell like buttered popcorn to me!

Please heed the negative comments on this one. As nice as this plant may look, it has serious implications in all gardens and native spa...Read Moreces. Even planted as a hanging basket, or in a pot, this plants seeds are spread. As a landscape architect in San Diego, I visit many homes. I have found it sprouting in the midst of shrubs, hedges and throughout gardens where it was never planted. More than half the 400 homes I visited last year have an invasion. I believe birds eat the seeds, spreading the plants to the center of shrubs where birds perch. While I have not found it resistant to Round-Up, if you don't get all the root nodes, it will come back. Also, it is nearly impossible to spray this plant when it is entwined in your hedge.

This plant should be made illegal to sell or distribute in all Southern States.

I recently moved to Tucson and was surprised to see asparagus fern, and it's relative foxtail fern, growing in large planters in full su...Read Moren at shopping centers around town. That has to be one of the harshest environments - hot, hot, hot - but they looks great.

Now living in WI this plant is a great indoor plant, my Grandmother has had one in her house since the early 1960's and I have had mine f...Read Moreor many years.
That said those of you stating this plant is hard to eradicate in southern states seem to forget not all plants can be eradicated with a spritz of Round-Up.... If you eradicate it properly it takes several years and here is a link to the correct way to do so: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=10150138900700347&topi...
As for being on the FLEPPC list (www.fleppc.org) that is all good that they list it but the government in FL has not, and they have not banned the sale of it (for that matter in any state in the USA) and can be found being commercially grown in FL and even exported to other states.

I just recently bought the aspargus fern and was under the impression it was a herb. I am very glad I did some research on this plant. ...Read MoreThanks for all the comments about how to deal with this plant. I have two house cats and did not know of the poison hazard, so the information I have gleaned from all of these articles has been invaluable. I am planning to have it as a house plant, but now I will make it a hanging plant to keep it away from my pets.
One note about troublesome plants like this fern that will spread when outdoors and turned loose to go its on way, and that is a mint plant. I planted the mint from seeds and even transported it from GA to KY in the dirt with my other plants. You will never get rid of this plant unless you lose everything in your garden and poison the whole area. The roots run the entire area of your garden and right in with your other plants. I pull them up constantly all spring and summer long, but never get rid of them. Just a WARNING ,never plant mint in your yard or prepare for it to take over everything.

Although somewhat of a common plant, I love Asparagus Fern for an indoor plant during our long cold winters in eastern Nebraska. Mainly ...Read Morebecause it adds wonderful greenery and tolerates low light conditions in my home. Easy to care for inside. During the summer it goes outside in a container to become lush and full in the sun as long as it gets plenty of water. Also, a great filler plant to accompany other plants in a container.

I love my asparagus fern! This year I only have one in a hanging basket indoors, but I have grown them outside. The one I have indoors ...Read MoreI purchased on sale at the nursery because it had out grown it's pot. I literally had to cut the pot off of the roots, which were hard as concrete. Once transplanted into a hanging basket, the shoots nearly reach the floor. It has a delicate, airy appearance, but make no mistake, if you reach your hand into it you will have scratches.

It looked so pretty when I planted it, now it's all over the place,I'm going broke buying Round Up.

Here in Southern California, I have been at war with Asparagus sprengerii for decades in my garden and in other gardens, with a hanging b...Read Moreasket in the patio that spread all over the yard and a thicket in the back yard that spread to the front yard via the birds and berries. The brittle stems, thorns and hard-to-find underground tubers make it practically impossible to completely eradicate. I would recommend it only as an indoor plant here.

Even though the Sprengeri is a beautiful plant I would advise anyone in the South to keep it in hanging baskets or other containers. I ma...Read Morede the mistake many years ago of planting a couple of small ones in the yard and they took over. It is an attractive plant and the birds love the berries but I have to give a negative rating because of the invasiveness of this plant here where I live. We still have a large area in our backyard that is covered in really, really huge Asparagus Fern. They are monsters to try to dig out, almost impossible and I don't think you could ever get all those little tubers without a bulldozer! It is impossible to keep this plant contained when planted in the landscape here in Florida. It travels by the tubers running everywhere and they multiply quickly. I wish I had never thought about putting it in the ground!

I use these to fill odd spots. It looks great everywhere, easy to take care of and it isn't that difficult to get rid off. Just pull as m...Read Moreuch as you can out and pour some kill all on the rest, it will die.
Asparagus fern makes very nice flower arrangements with roses,carnations, tulips etc

This plant is a major money maker adding interest and beauty to concrete pedastels.Mature plants are available for sale,yet you can never...Read More say this plant is mature,the bigger the pot the bigger it gets.lisellep2003@hotmail.com

This has been a great plant here in the hot desert, though so far I have only had it in lots of pots mostly in shade. My neighbors have i...Read Moret in the ground, and it definitely gets huge, though it freezes to the ground here in 8B. The only bad part of this plant has nothing to do with the plant itself, but it harbors lots and lots of bunnies and their babies. I had a small pot of it on the ground, and one morning I watered it and had a bunny explode out of it and hop away. The varmint had chewed 95% of the fern off at the base and then made a little nest in there. I put the pot on a table, and it has started to grow back quite nicely. Out of all the 6 or 7 pots of the stuff growing, I have never had any of it bloom, though the neighbor's has. I do plan to plant a bunch in the ground later on, so I will post more on that later.

A wonderful fern -- easy to care for and a nice companion for other plants. Love the structure of the foliage!

I lived in GA & FL for many years and had this plant both inside and outside where I could keep it trimmed to shape, but I have lived mos...Read Moret of my life in the northeast where this is considered to be a houseplant only. Well, let me tell you, that is a myth as I live in zone 6 and always put my houseplants out for the summer. Two years ago my Asparagus Fern dropped some of its berries and, unbeknownst to me, propagated. Last year (2006) I was amazed to find Asparagus Fern growing in my planting bed and have about 5 plants from that seed dropping. I believe the fact that I always mulch my beds and that it is south facing may have contributed to it surviving!

This is one of the few plants here in Phoenix Az that will grow in full sun and full heat without requiring attention from me. I am new ...Read Moreto this gardening thing and while I enjoy it I am totally frustrated with how quickly the heat here kills whatever I plant!

For anyone who doesn't have much time and wants something that is green year round I would recommend this fern. It does have thorns so be careful. When it spreads just cut it back to the desired area...

I do happen t love this plant as we bought a nice big one at an Amish auction and it has withstood cold, heat, dry conditions, and a few ...Read Moreother brief momnents of neglect.

One comment I would add is that it tends to turn yellow and drop it's little pine needle looking leafs ALL OVER! But after further investigation it may be due to the plant getting too hot indoors. Go figure.

Zone 8b, deep Southeast, TX, Lake Sam Rayburn

First, to thank all for great information. I purchased a 12" pot of mixed p...Read Morelants. The survior is now one and onehalf feet tall with long runners near 3 foot. This past spring, I placed the mixed pot of plants in my new garden room which gets brief morning sun but no harsh mid-day are afternoon sun. This lovely fern is a great surprise to me for being a real survivor of our hot, humid summer! IT IS A KEEPER.
I plan to place it indoors by a large East window for ample morning sun. It will sit on a tall pedestal to give beauty and pleasure this winter.
I am greatly incouraged by all your culture information and suggestions. Happy Fall season to all.

Keep those hands dirty!

These things are amazing! I had some small ones that I slowly repotted into larger and larger plants. The last repotting gave my biggest ...Read Morefern such a growth spurt, that the fronds have grown over 3 feet long! I have to cut them back to keep my cats away from them...they are poisonous to pets. My largest one has also sent out buds, which is a first for me. I have never seen one flower before, and I am fvery excited about it. I water abhout once a week, and once a month they get a good soaking. Bright ambient light.

I have this plant in a small pot in my office - it adds a nice, airy feel to the place. It likes a high-Nitrogen fertilizer ("plant food...Read More spikes" are easiest), in order to keep putting out new growth. Very nice plant.

I love this plant. I am, however, glad I don't live in an area where it can become invasive. I use it as a very hardy ground cover and in...Read More pots. It adds a lovely touch to any garden.

I have a large plant in a container that sits on a table outside. The long fronds hanging down are very pretty. Never thought of it bei...Read Moreng invasive. I will plant some small plants in the ground and hope they will multiply!

This asparagus fern is tough as nails. I HAD THE SAME PLANT SINCE 1968. Let me repeat--1968. I was just a kid I remember this plant. ...Read More />
Actually I was shocked to hear it's invasive. I keep it in a pot, and it's been in there ever since. How tall is it? Ohh, I'd say about 1 foot, and it remains in the 12" pot. So the plant is no more than 12" across. Forever. Unchanged, and certainly not invasive. I never water it, or do anything. Frankly I'm surprised it's still alive and green with no care whatsoever. It stays the same in the longest droughts, freezing cold, and even hurricanes. Untouched.

As long as you keep it in a container it stays the same. unchanged. year after year after year after year...and decades later. It will not grow, but it will not die either.

A plant, unchanged, since 1968, is indeed nobel. If you want an impressive looking container plant without having to water or care for it, this is it.

I've grown this plant (though not the same one) for over 20 years. The nicest ones were those I grew from seed. I selected the strongest ...Read More& best & kept them. Some had fronds (stems?) over 5 feet long & were very luxuriant. I won the local fair for houseplants with one of them. I only grow them indoors so they're not invasive where I live as they rarely make it through the winter outside. A little too cold for them.

The only downside to these plants is their very sharp stiff thorns. Althoughthey're small, I manage to stab myself whenever I do clean-up or transplanting. The bigger & older the plant is, the nastier the thorns. They hurt!

When given enough light, tiny white flowers dot the plant & later, bright red berries form. Since they belong to the same family as edible asparagus, the similarity is understandable. I really love the light airy look of these plants. They add a lot to the decor without hogging all the light as some of my big tree houseplants do.

this plant is great! Its very easy to grow and can last many many years. Watch out for the little spines it has hidding under all that fo...Read Moreliage. Its cute when it has the red/white berry's. In colder winter areas it doesnt look so good, but comes right back in spring. Doesnt need water after its established. It can make it on the rain alone! Very good for outdoors.

I've grown this before in pots and were so-so about them, mainly because the stems have small thorns. Then I found out it can be grown in...Read More the ground here and like it much better there. It makes a good backdrop for some of my flowering plants.

Luckily for me, it's not invasive as some others here have found it to be. It dies back every winter, and because I have it in a location which gets no extra watering and is shady in the summer, it doesn't get too big. This also could be some of the reason mine isn't spreading.

This is a lovely container plant - especially nice in hanging baskets. Cut sprigs also make a nice airy filler for flower arrangements.<...Read Morebr />
Likes its soil kept moist in order to prevent needle drop & under optimal conditions will sometimes produce tiny white flowers followed by tiny green berries ultimately ripening to red.

The only drawback I found to growing it was that it outgrew its containers rather quickly, requiring frequent repotting. Using an old large serrated kitchen knife, one could easily divide up one large specimen into 4 or more new plants.

I love this plant and rate it positive because it is ZERO maintenance. I have grown it for years in a pot so no "behavior" problems. ...Read MoreEvery now and then I will find a small seedling growing somewhere and I just quickly pull those off.

Even though I understand that this plant causes many problems in subtropical areas, this plant is very good for the Northeastern states. ...Read More I keep mine on the back patio during the summer (full sun) amongst my other tropicals to create the feel of being in the subtropics. Since I do not live in the subtropics and my husband wishes to stay up north, I have to recreate that feel. I bring it in during the winter months and keep it in a south facing window until it's time bring it outside again. There is no fear of spreading seeds taking root here, I am a zone 5...the winter would kill it.

This plant is excellent up north. If you live up north, don't let the negative comments prevent you from growing this. Very easy to take care of here, just keep it out of frost and snow!

I am especially fond of this fern because it grows great as a groundcover and gives sections of my yard an informal, forest-like feel. I ...Read Moreappreciate the birds for their help in spreading seeds because I often find new asparagus ferns growing in the most unusual places. Since they are dioecious, only a few grow berries which are often hidden by the more abundant fruitless ferns. I saw a mockingbird eating a red berry so this fern is quite helpful to birds in the winter.

I love this plant. I know it can be invasive, but I keep them in hanging baskets, planters and regular old flowepots, and they thrive i...Read Moren the Houston heat and humidity.

They do very well in the house and light up a dim corner, they thrive on top of the frige, and throughout the house, and don't mind too much when I divide them for new plants.

The flowers are minimal but pretty and even have a slight fragrance. Thorny to the touch when mature they keep my pets at a distance, and the bright red berries are a great contrast to the lovely shade of green, I do believe they are dressing for the holidays.

It's amazing how differently plants behave in different climates. In Cape Town, South Africa, this fern is delightful - except for the th...Read Moreorns - but its close relative is a complete menace. I've had this one in pots & hanging baskets for years & it's beautiful,especially when it has flowers & berries.

BUT, there's another asparagus fern--not sure of its botanical name--that is a HORROR! It's got longer fronds than this one, is darker green in colour, has worse thorns & grows like a triffid, into & over everything in sight. My mother's got it strangling everything in her front & back gardens. Should be classed as an alien invader!

Asparagus Fern is extremely invasive in South Florida. It can climb over, and take over, many native plants. I have a bunch growing on th...Read Moree left edge of my yard. I tried to get rid of them a few times at my friends' house across the street, and it was very painful work (Ouch! Lots of sharp thorns on the fern's stalks). We got some of the weed out, but it keeps growing back!

However, it is still a very popular houseplant indoors everywhere, as well as outdoors in my area, Texas, and California. It grows outdoors in zones 9, 10a, 10b, 11 and below. Underground tubers help the weed spread over a large area, climbing up trees and sometimes even growing OUT OF THE TREE'S TRUNK AND ROOTS! I see them growing out of ficus hedges and trees--another attractive but weedy plant.

It may be useful indoors, but because of it's invasiveness and sharp, painful spines, I hope it is banned completely soon! It grows quickly without water and is adaptable, even though it often dies. It likes being in the company of other invasive plants such as ficus, Snake Plant, Brazilian Peppertree and others (probably competes well with them).

MORE FACTS - Listed as a Class One Invasive by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's Pest Plant List (FLEPPC).

Mine grew wild in a pot outside, from whence it came I don't know. Even though I give it no care, except water when I water the rest of t...Read Morehe garden, it does just fine. (I'm actually somewhere between positive and neutral, but they have no button for that.)

It's a nice contrast to other plants. Have yet to have problem with it spreading (Maybe because it planted itself in a small pot and hasn't gotten overly large, or flowered and seeded). Am glad for the warnings of others on this site, so I can know to do something early if it ever shows signs of becoming invasive. Maybe I'll try it in a hanging planter.

Funny how some plants are perceived in different areas.....we have a couple growing in our yard and have never had problems wit it invadi...Read Moreng other areas....

I like the light, feathery look they give among some of the other more tropical and substantial tropical plants, like black taro and monstera...

We also have two in hanging baskets mixed with a trailing caladium-like vine with coppery pink leaves (I have no idea what the plant is)....the contrast is very nice.

I have had my Asparagus Fern for a couple years now. I love it. I have it in a hanging planter & have had no problems. There have been...Read More no mess. The flowers were a great surprise this year. The berries are just now starting to pop up. A dove laid eggs in the plant & it held up great. I live in sunny southern California & have sun beating down on our plants all day long. This plant almost died a while back, but I brought it back to life & it is doing great now, plus it provides nice shade.

This plant is a horrible weed in Australian Coastal conditions. It scrambles up over low trees (1-2m tall) and covers the ground thickly,...Read More letting dangerous creatures live underneath it (eg Redbacks, Funnelwebs and insects that can cause SEVERE skin irritation). Australia discourages this plant, so if you live in any part of Australia from zone 8b-zone 11a, please consider other alternatives. pokerboy.

Ohhhh, such negative feelings about this plant! I could not do without my dear asparagus ferns. I have had no problems with them being i...Read Morenvasive, perhaps because they are kept contained in hanging baskets along the front porch. I love the tiny flowers that are blooming on mine this time of the year and find them much less messy and troublesome to take care of than other types of ferns. Just had to take up for one of nature's little beauties! Thanks! SandPiper...

Very interesting..the information that this plant is an invasive monster! I suppose it depends on where you live and how it's planted. ...Read More

Here is central Texas, it's strictly an ornamental plant, meant for large urns and pots. They winter over nicely, and are really tough when left unwatered in the sweltering heat.

I've never tried to grow one in the ground...I suspect it wouldn't be as invasive here as it is in Florida, since there isn't as much rain!

I have one growing just fine right now on top of my refrigerator with an eastern exposure. My new cat has now found he likes nibbling on...Read More the stems. Is this the variety of asparagus fern that is toxic to cats or are all of them? And, just how toxic is it? He does not seem to be bothered so far. Plant has no flowers or berries yet either. Love the plant, as it is so easy to grow, but hate to think that I am poisioning my cat! Thanks-mmm

A neighbor gave me a small clump of this "fern" from her very large plant as a housewarming gift --- and I did the same for others over t...Read Morehe years. Because my yard was mostly concrete deck, I had it in a pot and had no trouble with it being invasive ---- but can attest to the fact that it is tenacious! I've also used it as a ground cover in the past which was very attractive ---- but have never had to deal with old plants or had to remove it. I've been trying to buy one, recently, and can't seem to find it online. Is it possible that it has just become too unpopular? It can't be any worse than the old ivy and wandering jew that we are removing from our complex because they are great homes for rodents!

This plant can be useful as a ground cover. I lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, zone 9b, for many years. I had a circular driveway with ...Read Morea shady half moon planting bed between this driveway and the street--no streetside sidewalk. I found that people--especially teenage visitors to our house--liked to park under the shade of my trees, get out of their cars and tromp through my half moon-shaped planting bed, so I was looking for some rather indestructible plants for this area.

Then I found out a nearby office building was being renovated on the outside, and I managed to get a large amount of these plants for free. My teenage son and I just cut long, two foot wide runners of the plant a few inches deep. It was easy with thick gloves, and the roots are in mats. We rolled up the "runners" and took them home. Then rolled them back out, butting them together, until they covered the entire half moon shaped bed, which was about 30 feet long, and at its widest, 15 feet or so deep.

The asparagus fern made a nice impenetrable groundcover under the shade of the two huge old trees near the road. I found three foot-tall, dark green Sansevieria could compete quite nicely, making a nice contrast to the airy looking asparagus fern. The two together made a formidable barrier no barefooted teenager would dare step on!

The planting bed was contained by concrete all the way around it, so there was nothing to invade. Over the years, the fern grew to about three feet high, with arching branches and pretty, small white flowers. My only problem with this bed was the difficulty retrieving, without getting scratches, the inevitable trash thrown by kids as they walked home from the very nearby middle and high schools.

There are no bad plants--just plants in bad places--except maybe poison ivy and oak--but I understand they feed birds, so maybe there is a place for them too--just far away from me!

I have it in a pot but it continues to spring up elsewhere. I agree with the invasiveness. I hate that it looks fuzzy and is, in fact, ...Read Morespiny. It does contrast nicely with the foxtail fern, however.

This is terribly invasive in Florida. For once I agree with the local plant cops who think it ought to be outlawed. Unfortunately, one of...Read More the unknown geniuses who owned my place before I bought it, planted it in the back yard. I have not found it immune to Roundup, however. It just takes a couple of applications a week apart and a little patience.

My plant is 3 years young. I put it outside in June (full sun!) and bring it back indoors in October. I'm very happy with my plant! ...Read Morer />
By the way, I started my fern from seed, very fast, easy germination and now it's six years "old" and, once again, is outside for the summer.

My goodness. A lot of negative experiences for some of you. Should I worry about the attack of the killer plant? (joking) Maybe I should ...Read Morefeel fortunate that mine hasn't reproduced on its own other than me dividing the root ball every spring. Oh well, Mother Nature is odd like that. Makes it all the more interesting.

My only negative experience is the cats using it for a napping spot. Wooden kebab skewers sticking up out of the soil solved that.

I've had one for many years now. It remains outdoors unprotected year round in a very large planter sitting on upright concrete blocks to keep the fronds off the ground.
My experience with this plant is strictly positive in that I have thoroughly enjoyed its addition to my container garden.

Have to agree this plant has little virtue and a lot of negatives: sharp, totally resistant to Roundup, invasive, spreads everywhere, out...Read Morecompetes other plants - a weed of the worst kind. And it's not a fern (gives ferns a bad name.)

Here in San Diego the asparagus fern is everywhere. It gets inside, under, etc. everything. I am attempting to eradicate it. Perhaps i...Read Moret could be used as a ground cover on a back hill if you can keep it contained there. It can rip up your hands when you attempt to remove it. Be sure to get all the roots and bulbs.

My mother has a plant and it is almost too far gone to be helped. Her plant is a little yellowed and isn't very bushy; it looks like an ...Read Moreasparagus plant (the kind you eat), and the needles aren't very close together.

This plant is probably the most invasive weedy plant I could possibly think of. It can even grow on tree trunks without soil. The spreadi...Read Moreng is underground by tiny watery bulbs that seem to be connected by an underground rhizome of some kind that is thread-like in thinness.

Upon looking under the thick carpet of my baby tears, I found at least one bulb at every inch! They exclusively like to grow in the middle of other plants--particularly bushes. In my neighborhood in Southern California, I noticed how gardeners just trim them into the shapes of the bushes these ferns overtook and killed! Such bushes might include hardy ones like Juniper, Bird of Paradise, or Roses.

I wish California would prohibit their sale!

I find this plant easy to maintain, having had no problem with it being invasive, and believe it adds an airy, exotic feel to the area(s)...Read More in which it is planted. In fact, I am in the process of adding more terracotta pots of just asparagus fern throughout our backyard, which is mostly pool and deck.

I have grown these from seed as houseplants. They are very easy to grow that way and make nice houseplants.

Terribly invasive and birds spread the seeds.

I love the Asparagus Fern. I have had one for over 30 years in a free standing wicker plant stand and it is just beautiful. It does very ...Read Morewell here in Arizona and loves the heat.

Although this plant is very hardy, it is considered an exotic invasive in Florida. People thinking about planting this or having it in h...Read Moreanging baskets out of doors should check with the local cooperative extension agent to determine if it is invasive in their area. I have it growing up through my hedges and azalea bushes and have not been successful in removing it. From time to time it will also sprout in the lawns here. The roots have large nodules filled with water which allow it to survive uprooted for days, perhaps weeks. It also tends to get small thorns on it as it grows and matures. For those reasons, I will not grow this plant. I had one as a houseplant in WI that grew fronds 5-6 feet long.

Tender perennial used an an annual. Trailing bright glossy foliage. An excellent house plant, also good for hanging baskets. It eventual...Read Morely bears fragrant, whitish-pink flowers. Best performance in medium to bright light. 2' tall to 2'3' wide.