Scientific Name:
Asparagus setaceus
Pronunciation:
ah-SPAIR-ah-gus suh-TAY-see-us
Common Name:
plumosus fern
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Plant Type:
Indoor foliage plant, Vine or climber
Key ID Features:
Fern-like to some; leaves reduced to spines and scales; cladodes needle-like, feathery, most 5-9mm long x <0.3mm wide.
Habit:
Spreading, Upright
Form:
Weeping
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Africa - southern
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Alkaline
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Cut flower or foliage, Floristry, Hanging basket, Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound, Fern-like
Arrangement:
Alternate, Fascicles
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Compound Leaf:
Tripinnate
Colour in Summer:
Green, Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Acicular
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
'Leaves' are modified stems called cladophylls; true leaves reduced to basal spines.
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
3
Corolla Shape:
Campanulate
Colour (petals):
Showy, White
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Oct
Additional Info:
Six tepals
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Purple, Black
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Sep
Additional Info:
poisonous
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Spines, Tuberous roots, Cladodes
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
Medium
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Needs regular repotting or division.
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids, Mites (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
