How to care for asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus)

Asparagus setaceus · Lace fern, Climbing asparagus

Asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus) — a bushy, twining houseplant with wiry stems and soft, feathery, fern-like foliage, usually 60–90 cm tall indoors; it is not a true fern but belongs to the asparagus family. Asparagus fern needs partial shade. Water it about every 5 days while it grows and about every 14 days in the winter rest.

Checked against sources: November 5, 2026

Watering and repotting asparagus fern through the year

It lives indoors all year, so it has no sowing or planting dates: it grows from March to September and rests from October to February (the other way round in the southern hemisphere).

Repot it about every 12 months.

When to plant asparagus fern?

Plant or repot asparagus fern in spring, as it starts into growth; early to midsummer also works. It is a houseplant, so it has no outdoor planting date and no frost decides it: just avoid autumn and winter, when growth slows and fresh compost stays wet too long. After that, move it to a slightly larger pot about every year, or sooner once roots circle the pot or grow through the drainage holes.

Watering in the growing and resting halves of the year: Watering and repotting asparagus fern through the year.

Sources: RHS: How to repot a plant · Penn State Extension: Repotting houseplants

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Latin name	Asparagus setaceus
Family	Asparagaceae
Also called	Lace fern, Climbing asparagus
Light	Partial shade
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Repotting	every 12 months
Grown in	At home

Asparagus fern care by growth stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 5 days	—	—
Winter rest	every 14 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Bright indirect light sheltered from hot sun; direct sun is too strong for it. Too little light, like too little water, turns the needles yellow so that they drop.

Soil

Moist, well-drained, organically rich, slightly acidic potting mix such as a peaty one.

Care

Water regularly from spring to autumn and sparingly in winter. It likes 13–21 °C and high humidity; a humidifier or a tray of wet pebbles helps, and it must be kept frost free. Yellowed needles do not green again, but once light and water are right new shoots appear at the soil line. The large tuberous roots fill the pot quickly, so pot on in spring. To prune, cut stems right down to the base rather than shortening them, or just pinch the tips to shape it. Divide in early spring. Wear gloves; the sap can irritate skin and the berries are harmful if eaten.

Other plants of the Asparagaceae family

Asparagus fern belongs to Asparagaceae; 12 other plants of this family have a guide here.

Plant lists it is in

Part of: Houseplants · Thirsty houseplants · Houseplants to repot every year

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.