Asparagus fern
Asparagus setaceus
Also called Lace fern and Plumosa fern
Houseplant · Ferns & palmsNot a fern at all, and it hides small thorns. It sheds the moment the air goes dry.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 6 daysKeep it moist — water at the first hint of dryness — don't wait for a dry pot.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- High
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out for the summer RHS H1C, to 5°C
- Size
- 1.5 m tall · 0.9 m across
- Lifecycle
- Climber
- Origin
- Southern Africa
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: an allergic skin rash after repeated handling. Eating the berries can upset the stomach: vomiting, belly pain or diarrhoea.
PeopleIrritates skin
The berries.
HandlingTake care handling it
Older stems carry small hooked thorns, and repeated handling brings on a dermatitis in some people.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A whole spray goes yellow from the base of the stem outward and sheds its needles in a heap — one stem at a time, usually after the pot dried right out.Yellowing and needle drop · disorder