With its upright arms of bright green, needle-like leaves, asparagus fern is a colorful and textural addition to a home’s interior when it is grown as a houseplant. It’s easy to care for, and its color and texture make it a surprising but fitting addition to winter holiday decor.
Common name: Asparagus fern
Botanical name: Asparagus densiflorus
Exposure: Medium to bright light
Season: Year-round, for foliage
Foliage: This evergreen plant provides bright green color and fuzzy texture all year with its tiny leaves that densely cover its upright stems.
Habit: Asparagus fern can reach 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Encourage a stout, compact habit by pinching back the stems or even cutting some down to soil level.
How to grow asparagus fern: Provide a position in medium to bright light without direct sun. Asparagus fern is not a true fern and it does not require high humidity, making it easy to please even in the drier air of winter. Provide moderate water, watering when the soil approaches dryness.
Asparagus fern can be grown outdoors as a perennial in USDA Zones 9 and warmer, but it is reported to be slightly invasive (by reseeding) in parts of Florida and Hawaii, so we recommend keeping it as an indoor houseplant everywhere.
Image credit: Megan Hansen/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
