(ass-pair' a-guss den-si-floor' us, se-taa' cee-us)
Common name: Asparagus Fern
Family: Liliaceae (Asparagaceae), Lily
Height x width: 24" x 12"
Foliage: true leaves are small and scale-like, with feathery leaf-like stems (cladophylls) or modified side shoots (phylloclades) appearing to be leaves, often with spines
Flowers: white or pink, single or in groups, generally followed by red berries
Light: bright
Temperature: cool to average
Watering: moderate, avoid dryness to prevent needle fall
Fertility: moderate
Humidity: average
Soil: average
Pests and Problems: crown rot, leaf spots, rust, anthracnose, canker, slugs, spider mites (often common), aphids, scales (often common)
Growth habit, uses: hanging, pot or cut depending on species or cultivar
Other interest: native to sandy and coastal areas of South Africa; grouped with ferns, but as a member of the lily family not actually a fern; related to the edible garden asparagus (officinalis)
Other culture: may need dividing frequently as the spindle-like tuberous roots become quite potbound and can crack pots; survives drought, but dryness causes needles to fall; prune bare stems as new shoots will develop after needle fall; often plants shed old needles as new shoots form and so are messy indoors
Propagation: seeds, division
Species and Cultivars:
• densiflorus 'Sprengeri' (A. sprengeri)--Sprenger Asparagus, Emerald Fern; arching, then pendant stems 18-30" long, with widely spaced "leaves" (more so in low light), giving an open or loose appearance, best trailing or hanging, may also be cut
• setaceus (A. plumosus)--Asparagus Fern, very feathery foliage deep green and clustered on stalks, often used as a florist cut green
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