Asparagus densiflorus

This article is about the true species. For the houseplant often called by this name, see Asparagus aethiopicus.

Asparagus densiflorus (among several species colloquially called asparagus ferns; no relation to actual ferns), or the foxtail fern (asparagus) or plume fern, is a variable, evergreen-perennial plant related to cultivated, edible asparagus.

Asparagus densiflorus
'Meyersii' is one of the forms of this variable species that is popular in horticulture
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Asparagoideae
Genus:	Asparagus
Species:	A. densiflorus
Binomial name
Asparagus densiflorus (Kunth) Jessop
Synonyms[1]
Asparagopsis densiflora Kunth Protasparagus densiflorus (Kunth) Oberm.

It is native to southern Africa, from Mozambique to South Africa, but is widely cultivated.^[1]

Related species

Foxtail asparagus is part of a group of similar-looking and related Asparagus species native to Africa, including Asparagus aethiopicus ("Sprenger's asparagus"), A. confertus and A. krebsianus.^[2]

A. densiflorus has been occasionally confused with A. aethiopicus—a different, spikier, more rambling and pendant species^[3][4][5]—thus some sources provide incorrect information in reference to A. densiflorus. The plant formerly often grown as A. densiflorus var. 'Sprengeri' is, simply, A. densiflorus.^[6][3] Furthermore, the species known as A. densiflorus var. 'Meyersii' remains A. densiflorus, as well.

As a whole, the Asparagus genera is part of a larger botanical order, the Asparagales, which groups together other related plant families such as the agaves, cordylines, dracaenas, orchids, ponytail palms, snake and spider plants, and yuccas (Joshua trees).

Distribution

Asparagus densiflorus is native to the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Provinces in South Africa, Eswatini (Swaziland) and the Inhaca Islands of Mozambique.^[7]

Cultivation

As it cannot tolerate frost, in temperate regions A.densiflorus is usually grown under glass. Numerous cultivars have been developed, of which the compact form 'Meyersii' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[8] Its dense 50 cm (20 in) plumes of foliage are especially valued in flower arranging.