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Ming Fern

Asparagus retrofractus

Also called Pom Pom Asparagus Fern, Zigzag Shrub

Ming Fern
Photo: Michael256, CC BY 3.0

Ming fern (Asparagus retrofractus) is a spreading, scrambling shrub from the dry western regions of South Africa and Namibia, grown for its zigzag silver stems and small orange berries rather than its needle-like leaves. It needs full sun, good drainage and dry conditions, and is most often grown in warm, arid gardens or as a container specimen.

Family
Asparagaceae (Asparagus family)
Grows as
Shrub, Fern
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry out fully between waterings.
Soil
Free-draining sandy or gritty mix.
Temperature
15–30 °C; protect below 5 °C.
How easy
Easy
Native range
Namibia to Cape Prov.
Climate
desert or dry shrubland

About

Asparagus retrofractus ("Ming Asparagus fern") is a shrub of the Asparagus genus that is indigenous to the western regions of South Africa.

Where it grows

This species is indigenous to the dry, western regions of South Africa. It occurs from Namibia in the north, across the Northern Cape Province, as far south as Cape Town, Caledon, Worcester and Montagu, in the western (winter rainfall) portion of the Western Cape Province.

Other Asparagus plants

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 retrofractus 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.

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