This species is often confused with Asparagus flagellaris. In practice, both species are used similarly without discrimination[].

Common Name: African Asparagus

General Information

African asparagus is an erect or climbing or scrambling plant producing numerous wiry, spiny annual branches from a perennial, woody rootstock[]. The stems can grow up to 2 metres long, occasionally as long as 4 metres[, ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is often grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

The roots and branchlets are ingredients of arrow-poison[].

Botanical References

Range

Africa - S. Africa north along the east side of the continent to Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula..

Habitat

Moist sandy, wooded or bush soudanian savannah[]. Frequent at forest edges, in bushy wooded areas and grasslands, often on rocky ground, at elevations up to 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier to semi-arid areas of the tropics and subtropics. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,000 - 1,700mm[].
Thrives in a sunny position in a sandy, clay loam[].
The plant is often found on land after a fire[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The ripe fruit are collected from the plant in handfuls and the juice sucked out, whilst the solid part is discarded[, ]. The fruit is usually only eaten by children and is used especially in famine periods. It is highly nutritious and therefore important during such times of famine[].

Young shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable[]. They are dug out, washed, peeled and chewed by children and herdsmen in order to quench thirst and hunger[, ].

Root tubers - cooked. The fleshy tubers are edible after several hours cooking[]

Medicinal

The roots have a variety of medicinal uses. They are used in various ways as a treatment against syphilis, gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted diseases - either being macerated and then decocted and drunk; added to food; or used in baths[, ]. The roots are boiled, mixed with milk and given to women immediately after childbirth to release the afterbirth[]. The root is chewed, or macerated and gargled, as a remedy for throat troubles[].
A root macerate is used against earache, as a treatment for conditions such as haematuria, coughs and schistosomiasis. The macerate is also an ingredient of a complicated technique for the treatment of bubonic plague[].
A decoction of the roots is used to promote healing of the umbilicus of the newborn, it is mainly applied externally, but a small amount is also placed in the baby's mouth[].

The branchlets (cladodes) are the main ingredient of a medicine to combat Guinea worm and of an ointment for hair growth[]. They are eaten to combat stitch[].
Applied externally, the branchlets are used as a wound medicine, to treat earache and eyesight troubles[].

The pounded branches, mixed with butter, are used as an ointment for the treatment of haemorrhoids[]. An embrocation is used against rheumatism and a hot water infusion to arrest diarrhoea[].

The branchlets, stems or roots are pounded, soaked in water and the infusion drunk 2 - 3 times a day for the treatment of mental disturbance[].

The seeds are swallowed to prevent eye diseases[, ].

Other Uses

The leaves are used in ointments by native women to stimulate the growth of hair[, ].

The wiry stems are used for preparing traps and snares for small animals, and for making cord[].

The woody stem parts are used for making pencils[]

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in containers in a lightly shaded position. It usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 25°c[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position until ready to plant out.
Division as the plant comes into growth.

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