Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Asparagus Fern
Asparagus Fern sends out long, arching stems covered in fine, needle-like green leaves, so it spills over pot rims and bed edges. It stays about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide and keeps its color year round. Small white flowers give way to bright red berries. It grows best in part shade.
Best for: shady beds and groundcover, spilling over pots and hanging baskets, and underplanting in part shade.
The long, arching stems spill over the edges of pots and hanging baskets. Use it where you want soft green to drape down.
Planted about 3 to 4 feet apart, it fills in as a groundcover or underplanting in part shade. It handles heat, clay, rocky and salty soil.
Once rooted it handles dry spells, though it looks best with regular water. It stays green year round in most Valley winters.
Too much hot afternoon sun yellows it. The red berries and plant are toxic to dogs and cats, and repeated handling can irritate skin.
- Groundcover planting3 ft apart
- Bed or border3-4 ft apart
Water a new plant every few days at first, then stretch the time as it roots in. Once rooted, regular water keeps it lush, but it handles dry spells. Water much less in winter.
Part shade or light shade suits it best. Too much afternoon sun yellows the stems. Pots can move to shade in summer.
Repeated handling can irritate skin, so wear gloves when trimming. The berries are toxic to dogs and cats, so plant it where pets will not chew it.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is asparagus fern a real fern?
No. It is an asparagus relative with fine, needle-like leaves that look like a fern. It is tough and handles dry spells once rooted.
Is asparagus fern toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. It is toxic to dogs and cats. The berries can cause vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea, and repeated handling can irritate skin.
How much sun does it need in Phoenix?
It does best in part shade. Avoid too much hot afternoon sun, which yellows the leaves. Light shade suits it best.
How often should I water it?
It looks best with regular water but is fairly drought tolerant once rooted. Water more often in summer and much less in winter.
How big does it get?
About 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide, with arching stems. Plant about 3 to 4 feet apart.
Can it take frost?
It is hardy to about 24°F. A hard freeze can burn the tops, and it grows back in spring.
Can I grow it as a groundcover?
Yes. It is used for groundcover, mass planting and underplanting, and it handles clay, rocky and salty soil.
What are the red berries?
Small white flowers turn into bright red berries. Birds visit them, but keep pets from eating them.
Asparagus Fern for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Asparagus Fern, also called Sprenger asparagus, is a tough, arching groundcover and pot plant. Below: sun, water, size, spacing, frost, berries and what to know about pets.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Does asparagus fern grow in Phoenix?
Yes, in part shade. It handles heat, drought, clay and salty soil, and stays green year round in most Valley winters.
Is asparagus fern poisonous to dogs?
Yes. It is toxic to dogs and cats. The berries can cause vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea.
Asparagus fern sun or shade in Arizona?
Part shade or light shade. Too much hot afternoon sun yellows the leaves.
How far apart to plant asparagus fern
About 3 to 4 feet apart. Each plant grows 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide.
Asparagus fern vs foxtail fern
Both plants are asparagus relatives. Asparagus fern has loose, arching stems for spilling and groundcover, while foxtail fern grows tight, upright plumes.
Asparagus fern in hanging baskets
Its long, arching stems spill over the edge. Pots dry out fast in summer, so check them often.
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