# Common Asparagus Fern (*asparagus setaceus*)

The Common Asparagus Fern is a fun plant with feathery green leaves that look like fluffy little trees! It loves to grow in gardens and can even be a great houseplant.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Commonly found in gardens, forests, and as a houseplant.
- **Also known as:** Asparagus Fern, Emerald Fern, Foxtail Fern, Lace Fern

![Common Asparagus Fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Asparaagus_plumosus_Asparagus_Family_-_Asparagaceae_%283072476493%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asparaagus_plumosus_Asparagus_Family_-_Asparagaceae_%283072476493%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Common Asparagus Fern has delicate, feathery bright green foliage, which are actually modified stems, not true leaves. Its wiry stems bear small, sharp thorns and can grow quite long, producing tiny white flowers that develop into vibrant red berries.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Asparagaceae
- **Genus:** Asparagus

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, it's not a true fern, but a relative of the edible asparagus!
- It is often mistaken for dill due to its soft, feathery appearance!
- Its tiny white flowers mature into vibrant, round red berries!
- This fast-growing plant can produce stems that trail over 2 meters long!

## Special abilities

- **Water Storage:** Common Asparagus Fern has underground tubers that store water and nutrients, helping it survive dry periods.
- **Prickly Defense:** Common Asparagus Fern can grow small, sharp thorns along its stems, deterring animals from nibbling it.
- **False Leaves:** Common Asparagus Fern has tiny, needle-like structures called cladodes that act like leaves for photosynthesis.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 30-100 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its tiny white flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [Common Blackbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-blackbird) (*Turdus merula*) — Disperses the red berries.
- **Shelter:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Often nests in its dense foliage.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Common Asparagus Fern?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Common Asparagus Fern?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Common Asparagus Fern spread?

30-100 cm

### How big are the flowers on Common Asparagus Fern?

0.1-0.3 cm

### When does Common Asparagus Fern bloom?

Summer

### Is Common Asparagus Fern edible?

No

### Is Common Asparagus Fern toxic?

Mild

### What is Common Asparagus Fern's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/key-west-tropical-forest-and-botanical-garden) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden
- [Wahiawa Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wahiawa-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Cherry Tree Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cherry-tree-park) — Florida, US · Park
- [West Lake Underhill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/west-lake-underhill-park) — Florida, US · Park

[View all places to see Common Asparagus Fern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-asparagus-fern)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Common Asparagus Fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-asparagus-fern)