Need help identifying this plant

[John Smith]

Hi all,

I recently bought a plant, but I'm not sure what kind it is. All I know is it is some type of fern.

Please take a look at my plant here:

'm more interested in the following:

- How big will it get? It's about 4 inches tall now. - Will this survive in an office with lots of flourescent lighting but no natural sunlight? - Should I wait until the soil is almost dry before watering? - Should I be misting this plant often, and if so, how often?

Please respond to this newsgroup.

Thanks in advance!

[Charles]

Asparagus fern. not rea;lly a fern, really a kind of asparagus. In the ground and in a warm place like So. Cal they will get large and be hard to get rid of.

[Cereoid-UR12-]

Your plant is not a fern at all.

Its Asparagus plumosa, a xerophytic flowering plant.

If you have the dwarf form of the species, it will stay small.

If you keep it moist and in shade like a true fern, it will eventually die.

Asparagus need plenty of light and to go dry between waterings to do well.

Do not mist it.

[Frogleg]

Asparagus fern (sic) is a *desert* plant? Who'd've thunk it? And what's this about "flowering"?

[Cereoid-UR12-]

You have never seen Asparagus in flower or fruit?

They have small white or greenish star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers followed by showy red or black berries. Asparagus plumosus has black berries while A.densiflorus (A.sprengeri) has red berries.

Many of the species have small sharp spines along the stems that can give you nasty cuts if you aren't careful handling them!!!

Another surprise is that most of them have tuberous rootstocks!!!

The genus Asparagus, along with closely allied Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum, has the most number of species native to southern Africa.

Asparagus plumosus is actually Protasparagus plumosus.

[Jim Shaffer, Jr.]

I had a very old and very very potbound one (as in the rootball forcing itself about 2 inches above the top of the pot) that flowered occasionally. It got little white flowers that looked like lily of the valley and had a strong funky smell sort of like coconut.

[Cereoid-UR12-]

To think Frogger killed many of them even BEFORE he made mistakes!!!!!

Now that he's making mistakes, how many is he killing?

Don't you be putting Hollandaise sauce on your Asparagus plants!!!!

[Frogleg]

Re-reading, I see I should have said "before I made mistakes and killed them, they were attractive, flourishing plants upon which I never observed blossoms." The OPs picture, with teensy, mini-asparagus looking stem ends makes me wonder if Hollandaise might be in order. After all, mini-corn, and (lathed) "baby" carrots are quite popular. "Asparagus Fern -- the new designer veg!"