The open plant encyclopedia
Snap a photo or search by any name to see how to care for it, where it comes from, whether it's safe, and a 3D model you can turn.
The plants people record most in your country, and ones that grow there wild.
Filter by what you want to do, shape, origin, country, care and safety.
Asparagus racemosus
Also called Bottlebrush Asparagus
Asparagus racemosus, known as shatavari or asparagus fern, is a climbing species from Africa through southern Asia to northern Australia, grown for its tuberous roots and its fern-like foliage. The key to growing it is warmth, bright light and well-drained soil, as it is not frost-hardy.
Asparagus racemosus (shatavari, asparagus fern) is a species of asparagus native from Africa through southern Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, to northern Australia. It grows 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) tall and prefers to take root in gravelly, rocky soils high up in piedmont plains, at 1,300–1,400 m (4,300–4,600 ft) elevation. It was botanically described in 1799.88
Shatavari is used in Indian traditional medicine for menstrual, pregnancy and other health benefits. A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial by Mhatre et.al ni 2026 has found that it decreased follicular count and increased endometrial thickness Some claim less high-quality clinical evidence to support using shatavari as a safe or effective therapy for any condition or disease. Studies of its effects on lactation have shown no significant effects. Its safety has not been well-studied, with two small trials finding no adverse effects in mothers or their babies.
Asparagus Fern · African asparagus · Asparagus albus · African asparagus fern · Burchells Asparagus · Cape Asparagus · Chinese Asparagus · Sprenger's asparagus fern · Asparagus · Asparagus krebsianus · Fire Asparagus · Grey Asparagus
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Asparagus racemosus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
