Common Name: Asparagus Fern

General Information

Asparagus densiflorus is an evergreen, herbaceous perennial plant producing erect or trailing stems up to 1 metre long from a tuberous rootstock. The stems have small, hardly noticeable spines and are somewhat woody[].
Widely grown as an ornamental, the plant can also be used as a ground cover and to prevent soil erosion.

Known Hazards

Eating the fruit is known to cause gastrointestinal problems in humans, though the effects are fairly mild[].
Skin contact with the sap can cause a minor, short-lived irritation[].

Botanical References

Range

Southern Africa - Mozambique, Swaziland, S. Africa.

Habitat

Found in a wide range of habitats, from coastal dunes to open rocky places or woods[]. In Australia, the plant has invaded coastal and inland rainforest, frontal dunes and sclerophyll forest and coastal heath[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental

Cultivation Details

Asparagus densiflorus is a plant of the subtropics and tropics, where it is found at elevations up to metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 21 - 27°c, but can tolerate 15 - 32°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -7°c or lower, although new growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[, ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,400mm, but tolerates 700 - 1,700mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position, but will tolerate some shade[, ]. Prefers a well-drained, medium-textured soil[]. Tolerant of at least some salt in the soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[]. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant[].
The plant is widely grown as an ornamental and has sometimes escaped from cultivation and become naturalized. It is dispersed by birds who eat the fruit then void the unharmed seed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

A good ground cover plant[]. The cultivars 'Sprengeri', 'Flagstaff' and 'Mazeppa' are particularly useful for ground cover[].
The plant has an extensive root system and can be used to control soil erosion[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - it needs to be removed from the fruit. It germinates best at a temperature of 25°c[].
Division of the tubers into fairly large clumps[].

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