Plant of the Week
Asparagus Fern
Latin: Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri'
 According to my dictionary, an imposter is one who deceives others by an
assumed character or false pretensions. The asparagus fern is an imposter on
many levels. Regardless of its fakery, it is a splendid houseplant that warms
the windowsill and decks of our modern homes. Asparagus fern is not a fern at all, but a member of the lily family. It is a
close relative of true asparagus and is edible. Undoubtedly, when Barbie invites
Ken over for a dinner party, she serves miniature asparagus fern spears lightly
coated with a delicate Hollandaise sauce. A century ago this was "one of the
most popular basket and decorative plants" and remains so today. Obviously this
faker has more to offer than the average imposter. The plant, collected in Natal Province, South Africa, was introduced to the
trade in 1890 by an Italian seed company called Dammann and Co., which named the
plant after their collector Herr Sprenger, at least according to Bailey’s 1900
"Cyclopedia of American Horticulture." By 1914, when Bailey published the
"Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture," the reference to commercial introduction
was omitted, so there may be an earlier claimant to the plant, but no doubt it
did enter the trade during the later years of the 19th century. Like our garden asparagus, the asparagus fern is a perennial in milder parts of
the country. It will reliably overwinter in protected beds in southern Arkansas
in Zone 8. It forms a greenish white tuber that looks just like a Thompson
seedless grape -- another bit of fakery the plant employs to get through the
winter. When it emerges in the spring the shoots grow rapidly and form arching
canes that are clothed in inch-long fake leaves called cladophylls. The
cladophylls are actually modified branchlets while the true leaves take the form
of small, soft spines. In late summer, plants that are at least a year old typically produce quarter
inch white, fragrant flowers followed by pea-sized red berries later in the
year. The seeds sprout readily and are the most reliable means of propagation,
although old plants can be divided. Asparagus ferns can attain great age and
become family heirlooms. Asparagus ferns are ideal for the patio where they are well suited for use in
hanging baskets, mixed planters or in individual pots. The cut stems may also be
used as greenery in flower arrangements. They grow best in bright locations with
a uniform supply of moisture. The plants have great drought tolerance but they
drop their modified leaves and stop growing when they get too dry. Plants can be
kept over winter indoors by locating in the brightest possible location and
keeping them slightly on the dryer side.
By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist
- Ornamentals
Extension News -
February 25, 2000
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