Discovered by no less than Carl Ludwig Sprenger in the late 1800's, rough and tough Asparagus Sprengeri has been a loved houseplant and strong and sturdy landscape fern too ever since. Seen from afar in a hanging pot you see a light and airy fern in brilliant, lime green swaying in the breeze and trailing gracefully. Get up close and you will see the rough and tough part. The fronds are brilliant, lime green needle-like leaves, super thin and not too long circling strong petioles (frond stems) getting quite long. Beige, fibrous roots and whitish tubers as part of the root system quickly fill the pot (they seem to not mind being rootbound and will get there fast every time you repot) and will grow until they crawl out the pot bottom hole and travel around and be visible on top of the soil surface. Outside in the landscape they will also quickly fill any area you give it. Blooms are tiny white stars that dot the fronds (not too conspicuous, really) that give way to nice, bright red berries that, incidentally, contain seeds that will readily sprout. You can also refresh and propagate this fern (and most Asparagus Ferns) by tipping it out of the pot and just carve a clump from the rootball with a sharp knife taking care you get some of the plant's crown as you cut. Then pot the new part in a pot of fresh soil and put the main plant back in the same pot with new, fresh soil to give it a new lease on life too. Once you get an Asparagus Fern you never need to be out of them again.
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Low Maintenance
Quick Care Guide:
- Water - Low/Med (2): Doesn't need as much water, but doesn't like to stay dry for too long. Plant will become droopy when really thirsty.
- Light - High (5): Plant needs a lot of light; direct is even better. These plants do best when placed on a window sill or next to a bright window. Avoid concentrated, hot light from window which may cause burning.
- Difficulty - Low (1): These plants need barely any attention to thrive. Set it and forget it.