Asparagus Species, Asparagus Fern, Climbing Asparagus Fern, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern

On Mar 4, 2021, Hugh_Manitarian from Pasadena, CA wrote:

EXTREME WARNING!
This is a weed from hell - a fast-replicating, invader-alien from outer-space.

Notwithstanding that the foliage of Climbing Asparagus Fern looks beautiful and delicate, this plant is an horrific, hardy, invasive killer of shrubs and trees in the garden.

I live near Los Angeles. For several years I was lulled by the beauty of the foliage; and I didn't pay attention to the failing condition of the trees in which the fern was climbing. However, prompted by the comment of a gardener recently, I examined the trees. To my horror I found that one oleander tree was dead; one oleander tree was half-dead, and my prized California Bay tree was in an earlier phase of being strangled and its juices sucked out by the fern.

Pulling the ... read more(above ground) climbers out of the affected trees was the easy part. The climbers spiral around the younger, greener branches of the plants that they invade. (In the case of my California Bay tree, the fern-climbers actually sink into the Bay's branches.)

When I started trying to get the stems out of the ground, then I began realizing what I was up against. The thorns on the stems catch on your arms and legs and clothing, and rip through your skin. Fortunately, strong gardening gloves with leather-faced palms will protect your hands and wrists, enabling you to grasp and pull the stems.

However, you should not pull the stems out of the ground, because then they will snap off, leaving the extensive, underground, interconnected-network of runners and root-balls relatively unaffected, and harder for you to locate.

The root balls - which resemble a Medusa's head (of the Greek fable), about the size of a baseball - tend to occur at intervals of about a foot or two. I had to dig around each one first in order to loosen the soil, thereby allowing me to lever the root-ball out of the ground using a very strong spade with its blade underneath the loosened root-ball. Unfortunately that process involved snapping off some of the roots and leaving them in the ground. That was the best I could without (to date) removing the nearby shrubs and trees together with their roots, soil and all. Unfortunately, the root balls tend to be located right up close against and around tree roots, fence posts, rocks and other hard objects - and that renders the task of getting the root balls and runners out of the ground more difficult.

The root balls are joined together in a sprawling network by underground runners. Fortunately for me, the runners are quite durable, and they are a distinctive yellow in color, and consequently I was able to follow them inch by inch, between the root-balls that they join together, by loosening the soil around them using a hand trowel or a spade. Fortunately too, the runners are smooth - and not spiked with thorns, unlike the stems above-ground.

The (underground) runners grow under and around tree roots. If you are persistent - and maybe lucky - you can dig around the tree roots in order to loosen the soil around the runners, enabling you to pull the runners out from around the tree roots. I guessed/decided it was best for me to remove all trace of the runners (even though I had little choice but to leave fragments of roots in the ground, as I described above).

It's early days yet. Maybe the adjacent trees and soil will have to be removed. Fortunately for me, that won't be my job and expense - as I'm the tenant.

On Jul 28, 2015, DisHammerhand from Fontana, CA wrote:

I remember this plant growing up the back of my grandmother's house. I have always loved the fine threadlike foliage.

I saw its agressive potential when we lived in a rental. That notwithstanding, when we bought our house, I bought a little four inch pot with a single frond and planted it under the arborvitae hedge. It took years for it to attain any size.

Now it's spread under the hedge and my planentrees with with trailing stems and fine textured foliage lending a woodland look to the garden.

On Jan 23, 2013, Bellsp from Hayden, AL (Zone 8b) wrote:

My grandmother gave me this in Alabama and I've grown it for all these years, here in North Florida it hasn't been invasive for me. I wish it would spread:). I love the light airy foliage, gorgeous. It does have thorns which is the only naughty thing about it. It gives the garden a woodland look, thumbs up for me!

On Oct 19, 2010, johnthelandlord from Los Angeles, CA wrote:

I have to echo the negative sentiment from the other posters. Invasive is an understatement.

I am in Los Angeles and I have to tell you that once this plant gets established outdoors you are in big trouble. It is simply not possible to kill, period. It spreads from one area to another. You cant pull it out, because the stem breaks before the root can be pulled. It totally entangles in my fruit trees, and constantly searches for a way up. Once up in the tree its a huge amount of work to remove. Thorny and nasty, but you will have to use your bare hands since its too thin to pull with gloves. Since I cant get it out of the ground I constantly have to cut the searching shoots.

Then, to make matters worse some areas will die and become a dusty brown mess (but ... read moredont worry, the thorns will be there waiting) which looks very ugly.

YUCK!

On Sep 3, 2009, 35811 from Huntsville, AL wrote:

This is another of my 'tag alongs' that moved with me from Jupiter, Florida to Huntsville, Alabama.

I did not expect this plant to survive but placed it in the ground on the NW side of my house, protected from the harsh wind. Mulched heavily and let it be. Autumn saw it die back to the ground. This past Winter we had a low of 9 degrees and several light snowfalls .

It emerged this Spring and is doing seemingly as well as it did in FL...perhaps better because now it has the advantage of a prepped planting bed instead of silty soil.
Has not taken over, but where I have it situated, it could be allowed to travel between others and not be offensive...we'll see what it does next year.

On Jul 2, 2009, garuda418 from Torrance, CA wrote:

I hate this plant. It is so invasive. As soon as I cut it off at ground level, new shoots are coming up somewhere else. It has taken over and has grown into the trees. I cut off the growths, and all the vines that were wrapped in the trees died. But I cannot even begin to try to get them out of the tree because all the tiny dead ferns fall all over me and they are itchy and abrasive. If anyone knows how to kill it, I would appreciate the info.

On Jul 4, 2007, jostoich from Sacramento, CA (Zone 9a) wrote:

This plant is growing in a mostly shady location on the north side of a wooden fence in my backyard. It survives year round and is a lovely background to a birdbath. If it gets too unruly, I chop it back and it rebounds. It has sharp thorns, so you have to wear good gloves when working with it. It is pretty in boquets. I've read it is toxic to cats, but I believe it is ok for birds. My cousin used to let her cockatiel forage on it in S. Calif. where it also grew well outdoors.

On Oct 5, 2006, azannleigh from Phoenix, AZ wrote:

My Plumosa Fern, which I have had for 10 years, did not survive this summer in Arizona, Zone 10.

This unique plant is one of my favorites. It's very interesting and mystical looking. I have always gown them outside in containers. My most recent was at least 10' tall wrapped around a invisible trelis, (fishing line) which was attached to an upstairs balcony.

Until today, I never new the name of my plant. Thank you to Onalee for all her help in obtaining the name.

On Jun 16, 2006, Pashta from Moncks Corner, SC (Zone 8b) wrote:

I have been thinking for years that this is a maidenhair fern, and I am so glad to be corrected! The other asparagus ferns I have do not look like this one. This one has come back from some serious trauma, with some loving care, and a self watering pot. It really started to come back after I put it outside. It seems to like fresh air, bright but indirect light, and lots of water!

On Feb 18, 2006, joshz8a from z8a, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:

Hardy here in Zone 8a (right on the edge of Zone 7), although top dies to ground and new stems late to emerge in spring. Climbs 10-12 feet on porch railing on north side of house. Might do better with some sun. No flowers (nor berries of course) even though probably 8-10 years old. Even after frost turns fronds creamy-tan they hold shape well since they are located under eaves of house.

A favorite plant inside or out and useful foliage for cut flower arrangements. josh z8a

On Apr 26, 2005, JuJu55 from Jasper Co., MO (Zone 6b) wrote:

It grew in 43 yrs that same spot to keep cool and shade. Also it help all the leaves around edge to fern which it compost to grow healthy....

On May 16, 2004, MotherNature4 from Bartow, FL (Zone 9a) wrote:

It IS INVASIVE in frost free areas. If you must grow it, keep it in a container and remove fruit when it appears.

On May 15, 2004, angelam from melbourne,
Australia wrote:

I used to grow this in England as a much loved house plant. Here in zone 10 I'm much more ambivalent. It self seeds readily and makes a fine background plant, but I find the downward hooks on the stems more vicious for their size than most plants and I've got the scars to prove it.

On Oct 25, 2002, Ulrich from Manhattan Beach, CA (Zone 11) wrote:

Invasive and difficult to eradicate in frost-free regions.