Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical forest
Range: Southern Africa
Movement: Climbing
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Spines
Status: Uncommon

About

Despite the name, the asparagus fern is not a true fern at all — it's a member of the same family as garden asparagus, and its delicate feathery 'leaves' are actually modified stems called cladodes. Native to southern Africa, it's a popular trailing houseplant prized for its airy, cloud-like texture.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: Asparagus
Species: Asparagus setaceus