Foxtail fern, Asparagus fox tail

Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers'

Liliaceae

The stems are like bottle brushes, 2-3" in diameter, and tapering gradually to the tips. True leaves are small and scale-like, with feathery leaf-like stems (cladophylls) or modified side shoots (phylloclades) appearing to be leaves, often with spines.

Asparagus fox tail has insignificant pinkish white flowers. These later turn into bright red berries.

The plant requires full sun or partial shade.

It prefers day temperature of 10 - 13°C and night temperatures of 20 - 22°C.

The plant is fairly drought tolerant.

Water sufficiently to keep the pot mixture moist. Do not allow the pot to stand in water. Watering is done usually when the plant feels dry to the touch. Plants that are over watered or under watered usually start to develop yellow leaves at the base and begin to shed leaves, both yellow and green.

Except for mites, pests are not a major concern.

Asparagus myers can get about 2-3' tall and spread out in a mound 3-4' or more across.

Wait 4 - 6 months to fertilize new plants. Mature plants need to be fertilized at 3 - 4 month intervals with standard house- plant fertilizer.

Cutting back the plants in late summer is often useful to rejuvenate the plants.

Propagation is done by dividing the root ball. It could also be grown from seeds but it is slow.

The plant may need dividing frequently as the spindle-like tuberous roots become quite pot bound and can crack pots.

It is generally used as a ground cover. The distance of planting should be 1ft. cc.